Background: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) presents substantial health risks for pregnant women and newborn infants. Measurements of ETS include invasive and expensive biochemical tests as well as less invasive and lower-cost self-reported exposure and avoidance measures. Better understanding of self-report measures will help to select ETS assessments for evaluation. Methods: This analysis was conducted within the context of a tailored video intervention to reduce tobacco smoking and ETS exposure during pregnancy and after delivery, in the control group sample of 147 nonsmoking women. Measurements of salivary cotinine concentration, self-reported ETS exposure and avoidance behaviors were captured at 32 weeks gestation and 6 months postpartum. Results: Salivary cotinine concentration was significantly related to ETS avoidance among pregnant nonsmokers at 32 weeks gestation, but not ETS exposure. At 6 months postpartum, both the reported ETS exposure of the infant and maternal avoidance behaviors to reduce her infant’s exposure were associated with the infant’s salivary cotinine concentration. At 32 weeks gestation and 6 months postpartum, avoidance behaviors decreased as exposure increased. Discussion: This study suggests that for nonsmoking women during pregnancy, report of tobacco smoke avoidance is more valid than report of exposure. After delivery, self-reported ETS exposure or avoidance are associated with each other and biochemical measurement of salivary cotinine. These results provide researchers and clinicians with evidence to support inclusion of avoidance behaviors in the selection of ETS measure.

Solanesol is a noncyclic terpene alcohol composed of nine isoprene units and it mainly accumulates in solanaceous plants, especially tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Here, RNA-seq analyses of tobacco leaves, stems, and roots were used to identify solanesol biosynthesis genes. Six 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase, two 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase, two 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, four 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-d-erythritol kinase, two 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase, four 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase, two 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase, six isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, and two solanesyl diphosphate synthase (SPS) genes were identified to be involved in solanesol biosynthesis. Furthermore, the two N. tabacum SPS (NtSPS1 and NtSPS2), which had two conserved aspartate-rich DDxxD domains, were highly homologous with SPS enzymes from other solanaceous plant species. In addition, the solanesol contents of three organs, and leaves from four growing stages, corresponded with the distribution of chlorophyll. Our findings provide a comprehensive evaluation of the correlation between the expression of different biosynthetic genes and the accumulation of solanesol in tobacco.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by local and systemic inflammation independently of the risk factor; during the exacerbations, such inflammation is accentuated and amplified. A practical inflammatory marker and one with an applicable predictive value in the follow-up has been sought. FeNO has shown an excellent performance in that respect within the context of asthma and has also been studied in tobacco-smoke COPD (COPD-TS). In Biomass-smoke COPD (COPD-BS), this, to our knowledge, has not been evaluated. Objective: To measure FeNO levels in patients with COPD-BS and to compare these with those of patients with stable COPD-TS and in healthy controls. Methods: Transversal, observational, descriptive, comparative, and analytical study. A total of 57 patients, including 23 with COPD-BS, 17 with COPD-TS, and 17 healthy control subjects. The measurement of FeNO was carried out on all of these by means of the on-line chemiluminescence technique; the values were expressed in parts per billion (ppb) for their analysis. Results: It was observed that the FeNO values were similar between COPD-BS and COPD-TS and were significantly different between the healthy and stable COPD (both groups). No correlation was found between pulmonary function and symptoms with FeNO in any of the groups. Conclusions: The level of FeNO in stable COPD is found to be increased in a similar manner in COPD-BS and COPD-TS, with a significant difference on comparing it with that of the healthy subjects.

Nitrogen loss in water from farmland has become a highly concerned environment issue due to the different nitrogen-fertilized input, which is the main cause of agricultural non-point source pollution in the Lake Basin. However, characteristics of nitrogen forms loss from farmland and how the root system responds is lacking. The effectiveness of 100–0% (T1), 75–25% (T2), 50–50% (T3), 25–75% (T4), and 0–100% (T5) nitrate-ammonium nitrogen fertilizer treatment was investigated to determine nitrogen loss in water and root morphological parameters of tobacco in Mile and Chengjiang Counties. Two sites result suggested that: Compared with the T1, T4, and T5 treatments, the TN loss of the T2 and T3 treatments in runoff was reduced by 4.67–27.32%, 11.85–23.20%, and 9.56–31.43%, respectively. Similar results in the nitrogen loss of infiltration were observed with that from runoff. Correlation analysis suggested that the root biomass was negatively correlated with the nitrogen loss. T2 and T3 treatments were larger than those of the T1, T4, and T5 treatments in terms of root biomass, root surface area, and root spatial distribution. This study suggested that 50–50% nitrate-ammonium nitrogen fertilizer can facilitate the root growth of tobacco and reduce nitrogen loss, which provides a reference for agricultural sustainable development.

ETS exposure has been shown as an important environmental risk factor in vulnerable population groups. The aim of the project is to analyze the relationships among the ETS and behavior and health in 6−15-year-old children in Slovakia. The status of physical and mental health of children in relation to exposure to tobacco smoke was examined in the representative group of 1478 school children. The methods used, included anonymous questionnaires filled in by parents, Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS), Behavior Problem Index (BPI) and anthropometry. The prevalence of passive smoking is the highest in the capital (27%) and southern cities. Significant relationships have been confirmed between ETS and the age, socio-economic status, the incompleteness of the family, the level of mother's education and the significantly higher prevalence of respiratory diseases (26.7%).The relationships of ETS with emotional (CIS scores ≥16) and behavioral functions (BPI score ≥14) were significant in children exposed to mother‘s and father‘s smoking at home. In the multivariate analysis this association was not significant; the factors such as income and completeness of the family were dominant. The results confirmed the impact of ETS and social factors on health state and health behavior and could be the argumentation for legislative changes.

Background: There is considerable evidence to support the association between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and children’s burden of disease. However, literature on the health outcomes of prenatal ETS exposure among Chinese children has not yet been comprehensively reviewed. Objective: This systematic scoping review examines the currently available evidence and identifies gaps for further research on the health consequences of prenatal ETS exposure among Chinese children. Methods: Following the JBI scoping review methodological framework, we conducted a computer-aid search of three electronic databases-- PubMed, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest to include studies from January 2011 to May 2023 that addressed the health outcomes of Chinese children whose mothers were exposed to ETS at any stage of the pregnancy. Further, a methodological quality assessment of the selected articles was conducted, using JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists. Results: A total of 30 articles were reviewed, including eleven high-quality studies and nineteen moderate-quality studies. Five main themes, including hypertension, foetal and children’s development, behavioural disorders, respiratory outcomes, and other health outcomes. Majority of studies showed positive link between prenatal ETS exposure and increase risk of preterm birth, and moderately, foetal growth restriction. Few studies explored other potential adverse outcome of ETS, including hypertension, respiratory morbidity, lung function and asthma in their children. Conclusion: The current available evidence on prenatal ETS exposure in Chinese children has unveiled a wide range of health outcomes, including preterm birth, foetal development, behavioural disorders and much more. However, Chinese studies in this area are still lacking and a gap still exists in relation to the strength of association between prenatal ETS exposure and some health risks. Efficient anti-smoking policies and smoking cessation programs should be developed to promote maternal and child health. Further research is also needed to provide better evidence in this field.

Background: The study aimed to investigate the association between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and the risk of wheezing among rural and urban preschool children in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, an area associated with poor air quality. Methods: In this study, parents/caregivers of preschool children (n=3145) completed a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Data were analysed using multiple logistic regression models. Results: The overall prevalence of Wheeze ever was 15.14%, with a higher prevalence in urban pre-schoolers than rural pre-schoolers (20.71% vs 13.30 %, P<0.000). Moreover, the total prevalence of asthma ever was 2.34%. The prevalence was greater in urban pre-schoolers than in rural pre-schoolers (3.92% vs 1.81%, P<0.001). In the final adjusted model, both urban and rural area children who lived with one or more people who smoked in the same household (WE: OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.11-1.86) (CW: OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.38-3.16) and (AE: OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.12-5.54) were found to have an increased likelihood of having Wheeze Ever, Current Wheeze and Asthma Ever as compared to those who lived with non-smokers. Conclusions: The implementation of smoking limits and prohibition is crucial in areas that are frequented or utilized by children. Hence, it is imperative for healthcare providers to actively champion the rights of those who do not smoke within the society, while also endorsing legislative measures aimed at curtailing the extent of tobacco smoke exposure.

This study investigated the influence and interaction of tobacco promotional and control information with adolescents’ current smoking and smoking susceptibility. 12,278 students were recruited from junior, senior and vocational high schools located in Shanghai, China. The exposure to tobacco promotional and control message of participants over the past 30 days were examined, as well as current smoking and never smokers’ initiation susceptibility. Complex sample analysis was applied. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. 89.3% and 91.5% of adolescents investigated were exposed to tobacco promotional and control message respectively, which separately increased and decreased the risk of current smoking and never-smokers’ smoking susceptibility, especially among males and junior high school students. The risk changed in consistency with the exposure level（P_trend < 0.001）. Tobacco control message seemed to mitigate the influence of tobacco promotions in the risk of both current smoking (OR = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.41–0.99) and smoking susceptibility (OR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.46–0.93). Tobacco-related message exposure was highly prevalent and associated with youth smoking risk and smoking susceptibility. It is important to enhance the comprehensiveness and enforcement of promotion bans. Given the improvement of tobacco control message on smoking risk brought by tobacco promotions, the publicity and dissemination of tobacco control information need to be consistently strengthened.

Abstract: Background: Exposure to ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) is one of the most toxic environmental exposures. Objective: To investigate the impact of ETS on physiological, biochemical, psychological indicators, on the urine antioxidant capacity (AC) and oxidative damage to lipids in a pilot sample of healthy pregnant women. Methods: The exposure to ETS was investigated by a validated questionnaire, urine cotinine and the marker of oxidative damage to lipids - 8-isoprostane concentrations using an ELISA kit. Urine AC was determined by the spectrophotometric TEAC method. From the sample of pregnant women (n=319, average age 30.84 ± 5.09 years) in 80 the levels of cotinine and oxidative stress markers were analyzed. Results: From our sample, 5 % individuals (7.4 % objectified by cotinine) were current smokers and 25 % reported passive smoking in the household (18.8 % objectified by cotinine). The Kappa was 0.78 for smokers and 0.22 for ETS exposed non-smokers. Smokers as well as non-smokers had significantly higher (p<0.05) urine AC than ETS exposed non-smokers. Non-smokers had significantly lower levels of 8-isoprostane than smokers (p<0.01) and ETS-exposed non-smokers (p<0.05). Correlations between urine levels of cotinine and AC were positive in ETS exposed non-smokers. Conclusion: The harmful effect of active and passive smoking on oxidative stress parameters has been indicated.

Soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase (sPPase), a pyrophosphate hydrolase, has been shown to play an important role in several physiological processes such as plant growth and development, metabolic activities, and response to abiotic stresses, but sPPase has been less studied in woody plants. In order to preliminarily verify whether the soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase in Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) has a role in resistance to drought stress, we amplified the EuSIP5 (E. ulmoides soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase 5) cDNA sequence from E. ulmoides by RT-PCR. In order to study the drought resistance of the Eucommia ulmoides soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase 5 (EuSIP5) gene, the cDNA sequence of the EuSIP5 gene was amplified from Eucommia ulmoides Oliver by RT-PCR. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that EuSIP5 might be an unstable amphipathic protein, mainly located in the cytoplasm. E. ulmoides, the highest expression of the EuSIP5 gene was found in male leaves and pericarp from April to October, and in leaves of E. ulmoides in July and September. During drought, the expression of EuSIP5 in seedling E. ulmoides leaves was significantly higher than that of the control. An overexpression vector harboring the EuSIP5 was constructed and introduced into the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi). We found that during drought stress, the appearance of wilting was delayed by 4 days in transgenic tobacco plants (OE) compared with wild type plants (WT), and the expression of drought-related genes DET2, CYP85A1, P5CS, ERF1 and F-box was found to be increased in transgenic tobacco leaves, as well as the enzyme activities of the protective enzymes: peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were significantly higher than those of the WT, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was lower than the WT. These results indicated that the introduction of EuSIP5 gene into tobacco increased the expression of drought-related genes, enhanced the anti-membrane oxidation ability of tobacco, and reduced the oxidative stress damage, thus improving the drought resistance of tobacco.

With the prevalence of smartphones, the scope of mobile applications has been significantly broadened in the past few years including almost every aspect of our daily life. Among the applications, message dissemination services play a significant role. Traditionally, users send messages to the servers, which forward them according to friend lists. This client-server architecture is efficient with the support of infrastructures, however, it restricts the application scope and may hinder the wide deployment of location-based mobile applications. This paper proposes a novel communication model called passive broadcast for local message dissemination. In this new model, each node does not maintain a connection state and data delivery is initialized by a receiver via a ’scan’ operation. The representative carriers of passive broadcast include Bluetooth and WiFi-Direct, both of which define a mandatory ‘peer discovery’ function. Passive broadcast features negligible cost for establishing and maintaining direct links and is extremely suitable for short message dissemination in proximity. Furthermore, we study the operation management in the proposed communication model with complete protocols and in-depth analysis for optimization. We prototyped our solution on commercial phones and evaluated it with extensive experiments and simulation.

We investigate the power of time series analysis based on a variety of information-theoretic approaches from statistics (AIC, BIC) and machine learning (Minimum Message Length) - and we then compare their efficacy with traditional time series model and with hybrids involving deep learning. More specifically, we develop AIC, BIC and Minimum Message Length (MML) ARMA (autoregressive moving average) time series models - with this Bayesian information-theoretic MML ARMA modelling already being new work. We then study deep learning based algorithms in time series forecasting, using Long Short Term Memory (LSTM), and we then combine this with the ARMA modelling to produce a hybrid ARMA-LSTM prediction. Part of the purpose of the use of LSTM is to seek capture any hidden information in the residuals left from the traditional ARMA model. We show that MML not only outperforms earlier statistical approaches to ARMA modelling, but we further show that the hybrid MML ARMA-LSTM models outperform both ARMA models and LSTM models.

Abstract: Background: In 2021, two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), TheraP and VISION, demonstrated that 177Lu-PSMA-617 as monotherapy was more effective for enhancing the decline of PSA than the comparator third-line treatments. Methods: Our review summarizes new RCTs that add to the use of radioligand therapy (RLT) for patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Results: Five past and present RCTs include 1139 patients. A RCT, ENZA-p, studied first-line treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC). A combination of enzalutamide (ENZA) and 177Lu-PSMA-617 gave longer progression-free survival than ENZA as monotherapy. Other RCTs of patients with mCRPC, including the PSMAfore, and SPLASH trials, showed 177Lu-PSMA-617 as second-line treatment gave better progression-free survival than androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (combined p value 6 x 10-8). Conclusion: Patients with PCa may gain if they are given PSMA-RLT early in the treatment of PCa and as part of combination therapies.

Background/Objectives: Nail technicians frequently have musculoskeletal pain, which impairs their job performance. A high-risk profession linked to back discomfort that causes morbidity is nail technician. QEC is a tool used for observing and assessing risks in a work environment. The goal of this research is to assess the ergonomic risks, pain, and their relationship with posture among manicurists. Methods: The 35 nail technicians filled the assessment form which consists of occupational information, pain, European Community Respiratory Health Survey, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and QEC worker part. Physicians assessed nail technicians’ workspace and QEC outcomes. Results: It was stated that they worked an average of 61.92±11.09 hours per week, served an average of 11±5 customers per day, and their condition lasted 53.96±36.51 months. There is a strong significant correlation between discomforts, time spent in occupation (p=0,000) and working hours. Manicure, pedicure, unwanted hair removal, correction of eyebrow were considered for ergonomic risk evaluation. Each occupation accompanied repeated bad postures. Most of them were scored in very high risk categorization for back static positions (more than 29 point). Conclusions: This study may be useful for nail technicians seeking ergonomic improvements in the areas of engineering, administration, behavior, or personal.

The aim of the scoping review was to map out studies that compared the effect of smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco on periodontal health. The review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework. The search for articles was conducted in five electronic databases namely: Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline, and PubMed. The search yielded two eligible articles for full-text screening. The two studies were cross-sectional in design, conducted in India and they both used bivariate analysis for comparison of the effects of tobacco smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco on the health of the periodontium without adjusting for confounders. The two studies used 10 measures to assess the health of the periodontium namely: Periodontal probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, and periodontal index, plaque index score, debris index score, calculus index score, gingival inflammation, bleeding on probing and pocket depth. Periodontal probing depth, periodontal index, calculus index score and pocket depth worse for tobacco smoking when compared with smokeless tobacco users. Both studies seem to concur on worse pocket depths for tobacco smokers than for users of smokeless tobacco.

On Feb. 6^th, 2020, FDA implemented the enforcement priorities against all flavored, cartridge-based e-cigarettes other than menthol and tobacco flavors. This ban undermined the products’ attraction to vapers, so e-cigarette manufacturers added flavorants of other attractive flavors into tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and re-established attractions. Both the sales of e-cigarettes and posts on social media suggested that the manufacturers’ strategies are likely “successful”. The re-established attraction causes not only a public health issue, but also threats to the health of individual vapers. Research has shown an increase in toxicity associated with the flavorants commonly used in flavored e-cigarettes that are likely added in tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes based on tobacco-derived and synthetic tobacco free nicotine, and these other flavors are associated with higher clinical symptoms not often induced by only natural traditional tobacco flavors. The additional health risks posed by the flavorants are pronounced even without considering the interactions of toxicology of the different tobacco flavorants, and more research should be done to understand the health risks thoroughly and to take proper actions accordingly for regulation of these emerging products.

Trichoderma spp. are widely used in plant disease control as biocontrol agents. Inducing plant disease resistance is an important biocontrol mechanism of Trichoderma. It is of great significance to explore the factors involved in the surface recognition and interaction of Trichoderma with plants. Hydrophobin is a small molecular protein rich in cysteine in higher filamentous fungi and has been found to participate in the morphogenesis and interaction of fungi with other organisms. In this study, the type II hydrophobic protein-coding gene Thfb6 from T. harzianum TH33 was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The purified recombinant protein Thfb6 induced a hypersensitive response in tobacco leaves, a burst of reactive oxygen species, and an accumulation of callose, phenolic substances, and lignin in tobacco, indicating that Thfb6 can induce an early defense reaction in tobacco. Thfb6 also enhanced the systemic resistance of tobacco against tobacco mosaic virus. The rate of lesion number reduction by treatment with Thfb6 could be up to 36.02%. Thfb6 increased the activity of tobacco defense-related enzymes, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase, which were all more than three times the control after 3–5 days post treatment of Thfb6. The transcription of resistance-related genes, including the PAL gene, non-expresser of pathogenesis-related gene1 (NPR1), and basic pathogenesis-related gene 1 (PR1-b), were upregulated after Thfb6 treatment. The relative expression levels of the PAL and NPR1 genes were highest on the third and fourth days after Thfb6 treatment, at 5.5 times and 8.3 times that of the control, respectively. The relative expression level of PR1 on the sixth day after Thfb6 treatment was 5.3 times that of the control. These results indicate that the improvement of defense-related enzyme activity and the induced expression of disease-resistance-related genes were the main mechanisms by which Thfb6 induced systemic resistance in tobacco.

There are introduced two new steganalytic methods not depending on the statistics of the cover objects, namely side attacks stegosystems. The first one assumes that the plaintext, encrypted before embedding, is known by the attacker. In this case, the stegosystem’s detection is based on the calculation of mutual information between message and extracted encrypted data. For this calculation, a notion of the k-nearest neighbor distance is applied. The second method is applied to HUGO, one of the most efficient steganographic algorithms. In this case the stegosystem’s detection is based on a verification of the NIST tests to the extracted encrypted messages. Moreover, we show that the problem to find a submatrix of­ the embedding matrix determining a trellis code structure in the HUGO algorithm provides a search of the stegokey of the proposed stegosystem.

(1) Background: The rapid expansion of 4G and 5G networks has raised public concerns about potential health risks associated with electromagnetic radiation. This study addresses these fears by investigating electromagnetic measurements in crowded squares, where human exposure is heightened. Despite rigorous scientific methodologies showing generally low levels of radiation from these technologies, public apprehension persists; (2) Methods: We conducted 496 measurements in Larissa's major squares, using a portable field strength analyzer and GIS mapping. Squares were categorized by traffic and population density; (3) Results: Low-traffic squares exhibited exposure ratios consistently below ICNIRP limits, with median values of 0.0012 and 0.00173 in non-active and active mobile phone cases, respectively. In high-traffic squares, the median exposure ratio was 0.00335 in non-active mobile phone cases, remaining below recommended limits; (4) Conclusions: These findings indicate no significant risk of electromagnetic radiation in crowded squares in Larissa, emphasizing the importance of factual communication and dispelling public misconceptions.

Tobacco Free Nicotine (TFN) Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are yet to be classified as tobacco products; consequently, there is ambiguity over whether Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority can be extended to include TFN e-cigarettes. In recent years, a more significant number of e-cigarette companies have been manufacturing TFN-containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids to circumvent FDA regulations. While studies have shown that aerosols generated from tobacco-derived nicotine-containing e-cigarettes contain significant Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels, no comparison studies have been conducted using TFN e-cigarettes. This study uses a single puff aerosol generator to aerosolize TFN and tobacco-derived nicotine-containing vape-products and subsequently involves semi-quantifying ROS generated by these vape products in H2O2 equivalents. We found that the differences between ROS levels generated from TFN and tobacco-derived nicotine-containing vape products vary by flavor. TFN tobacco flavors and fruit flavors are more toxic in terms of ROS generation than menthol/ice and drink/beverage flavored products using TFN. The type of salt nicotine used in vape products, TFN or tobacco-derived nicotine, impacts the level of ROS generated from flavored vape products. Thus, a better understanding of the type of salt nicotine used in e-cigarettes (tobacco-derived or synthetic), has modulating effect on lung oxidative stress.

Mercury (Hg) analyses in species of fish are performed for two reasons 1) to safeguard human health, 2) to assess environmental quality, since different environmental changes may increase the Hg concentrations in fish. These analyses are important since both natural and human activities can increase these Hg concentrations, which can vary extensively, depending on the species, age and catching location. Unfortunately, humans consuming Hg contaminated fish or other marine foodstuffs cannot taste Hg contamination; this can be only detected by chemical analysis. If the aim of Hg analysis is to protect the health of marine-food consumers, researchers workers must consider the location where the fish were caught and interpret the results accordingly. Health and environmental officials must appreciate that in specific places many local people may have a daily diet almost entirely consisting of fish or other marine foods, and these individuals should not be exposed to high concentrations of Hg. Regional and national health and environmental officials should follow the guidance of international organizations when drawing their final conclusions about whether or not the products are safe to eat.

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a major driver of many respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tobacco causes oxidative stress, impaired phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages (AMs), and alterations in gene expression in the lungs of smokers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that influence several bi-ological processes and interfere with several regulatory pathways. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of active CS on miRNAs expression in AMs obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of ever- or never-smoker subjects and patients with COPD or NSCLC. BAL specimens were collected from 43 sex-matched subjects to determine the expression of has-miR-34a-5p, 17-5p, 16-5p, 106a-5p, 223-5p, and 20a-5p before and after in vitro CS exposure by RT-PCR. In addition, bioin-formatic analysis of miRNAs target genes linked to inflammation was performed. Distinct and common miRNA expression profiles were identified in response to CS, suggesting their possible role in smoking-related diseases. It is noteworthy that, following exposure to CS, the expression levels of hsa-miR-34a-5p and 17-5p in both ever- or never-smokers, 106a-5p in never-smokers and 20a-5p in ever-smokers, shifted towards those found in individuals with COPD, suggesting them like a risk factor in developing this lung condition. Moreover, we identified miRNA targets involved in the immune system or AMs property regulation using in silico analysis. In conclusion, our study iden-tified miRNA signatures in AMs exposed to CS, indicating that CS is an important driver of epige-netic changes that contribute to the onset of various lung diseases.

An updated, binary-coded message has been developed for transmission to extraterrestrial intelligences in the Milky Way galaxy. The proposed message includes basic mathematical and physical concepts to establish a universal means of communication followed by information on the biochemical composition of life on Earth, the Solar System’s time-stamped position in the Milky Way relative to known globular clusters, as well as digitized depictions of the Solar System, and Earth’s surface. The message concludes with digitized images of the human form, along with an invitation for any receiving intelligences to respond. Calculation of the optimal timing during a given calendar year is specified for potential future transmission from both the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope in China and the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array in northern California to a selected region of the Milky Way which has been proposed as the most likely for life to have developed. These powerful new beacons, the successors to the Arecibo radio telescope which transmitted the 1974 message upon which this expanded communication is in part based, can carry forward Arecibo’s legacy into the 21st century with this equally well-constructed communication from Earth’s technological civilization.

Duke University was founded in 1930 primarily due to funds generated from James B. Duke’s tobacco business. Duke achieved great financial wealth primarily due to the early application of machine rolled cigarettes, as opposed to hand rolled. This early adoption of technology allowed Duke Tobacco to out-produce other companies still selling hand rolled cigarettes. By making smoking more inexpensive and easier than pipe smoking, the cigarette formed the foundation for nicotine addiction in the 1900s, generating huge profits for the tobacco industry. At the time Duke University was founded, little was known about the connection between nicotine, cigarettes, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema and lung cancer. Through James Duke’s philanthropy, the devastating harm from cigarettes has been mitigated in part through the founding of one of the world’s most prominent medical centers and research universities.

Background: Rabies, a zoonotic disease caused by the lyssavirus genus, is widely distributed and a significant cause of human death in Africa and Asia. This study aimed to investigate human rabies exposure and associated risk factors in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: The study encompassed four zones, seven districts, and four kebeles from each district. The research team developed a questionnaire for data collection. Results: A total of 642 households were interviewed. The current study rabies exposure was revealed 10.47%. Over 98% of respondents displayed a strong understanding of rabies, with 99.69% correctly identifying rabies as a zoonotic disease. However, 80% of the interviewees were trusted traditional medicine could treat rabies. Only 21.93% of victims were took post exposure prophylaxis. Dogs were the primary affected animals (87.73%), of this 48.70% was bites by own dogs. Metema district had higher risk (p < 0.001) compared to others six districts. Dog ownership (p<0.05) and a higher number of households (p<0.01) were also identified as risk factors for rabies exposure. Conclusion: Residence, low education levels, high household density, free-roaming dogs, and dog ownership as key risk factors for rabies exposure. Public health awareness campaigns are crucial to emphasise the risks associated with animal bites.

Tobacco smoke is an environmental mixture including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and may interfere in endocrine system as an EDC in aging. Thus, we performed a molecular epidemiological approach with in-depth biological monitoring of combustible cigarette smoking among adolescents and adults in South Korea (N=620) with exposure biomarkers, i.e., exhaled CO, urinary cotinine, t,t-muconic acid (TTMA), malondialdehyde (MDA), and obtained information of their lifestyle and tobacco addiction status. We also diagnosed the genetic polymorphisms on the 96 SNPs for tobacco-metabolism, -addiction, and expression differences and compared mtDNA abnormalities in buccal and blood cells. As results, there were positive associations among the above tobacco exposure biomarkers. Man or youth smokers showed high frequency in some of mtDNA alteration, such as ‘SNPs for inconsistent bases between buccal and blood cells’. Among the SNPs, the polymorphisms on SULT1A1, DRD2, and ADH1B were related to multi-exposure biomarkers. Interestingly, youth showed similar levels of urinary TTMA and MDA to adults, although their pack-year was approx. 1/6 volume of that of adults. We also observed the negative association between urinary MDA levels and the growth rate in the adolescents (p<0.05). In conclusion, the present biological monitoring provides high susceptible population, i.e., adolescents rather than adults, and reliable genetic factors affecting tobacco exposure. The inferred environment-gene-gene interaction suggests tobacco smoking accelerats aging in adolescents as an EDC.

The global usage of veterinary antibiotics is significant. These antibiotics can be released into the aquatic environment and exert toxic effects on non-target organisms. To explore the physiological effects of tetracycline antibiotics on aquatic life, the growth characteristics of and toxin release from the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) were studied. Results showed that the toxicity order of the three target antibiotics was TC (tetracycline) > CTC (chlortetracycline hydrochloride) > OTC (oxytetracycline) in terms of inhibition occurrence time and the EC₁₀ and EC₂₅ values. Further, the target antibiotics regulated the production of MC-LR (microcystin-LR) to different degrees. CTC destroyed the M. aeruginosa cells and resulted in a decreased MC-LR release but stimulated the ability to synthesise MC-LR. OTC had a relatively weaker toxicity compared with CTC, while TC was the most toxic among the three antibiotics. Therefore, TC is friendly to the aquatic environment because it simultaneously reduced the intracellular and extracellular MC-LR content. These results aid our understanding of the effects of tetracycline antibiotics on Microcystis aeruginosa, which is important for environmental evaluation and protection. These results are also helpful for guiding the application of veterinary antibiotics in agricultural settings.

Smokeless tobacco (ST) products vary significantly in their oral carcinogenicity. Much is known about the differences in chemical, but not bacterial, constituents of these products. In this study, we explore the composition and function of the bacteriome in ST products from 4 countries using q-PCR and 16S rRNA-based next generation sequencing. The bacterial load (16S rRNA copies/gram) was lowest in Swedish snus (3.4E+6) and highest in Yemeni shammah (6.6E+11). A total of 491 species-level taxa, many of which are potentially novel, belonging to 178 genera and 11 phyla were identified. Species richness and diversity were highest for Swedish snus and lowest for Yemeni shammah. Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Oceanobacillus spp. were the most abundant in American snuff; species of Pseudomonas, Massilia, Propionibacterium, Puniceispirillum and Gloeothece predominated in Swedish snus. In Sudanese toombak, Facklamia, Desemzia, Atopostipes and Lysinibacillus spp. accounted for the majority of the bacteriome. Yemeni shammah exclusively contained Bacillus spp. PICRUSt functional prediction showed that genes encoding cadmium/zinc and nickel transport systems were enriched in the presumptively “high carcinogenicity” products. The bacteriome of ST products thus differed qualitatively, quantitatively and functionally. The relevance of these differences, particularly with respect to nickel and cadmium, to oral carcinogenesis warrants further investigation.

This article explores the significant parallels between big tobacco companies and major social networking sites regarding their influence on public health and society. While acknowledging the fundamental differences in their products and services, the paper scrutinises both industries through five primary lenses: addiction, misinformation, lack of regulation, harm to public health, and youth targeting. Both industries exhibit addictive characteristics, have faced criticism for the spread of misinformation, operate with limited regulation and transparency, and have raised concerns about targeting young demographics. Moreover, the potential harm to public health is a significant concern, with tobacco leading to well-established physical health issues. At the same time, excessive social media use has been linked to psychological harm, particularly among young users. The comparison underscores the necessity for greater regulation and oversight of social media companies, highlighting the urgent need for more comprehensive policies to mitigate potential harm and safeguard public health in the digital age.

The article concerns a relatively small but important fragment of John Paul II's pastoral activity, namely his pilgrimages to Poland: the nature of these pilgrimages, their historical background and teaching - especially to the extent that went beyond the immediate and Polish context. The text is the result not only of reading papal statements, but also of personal observation of the political and social atmosphere. The first two parts contain a concise description of the Pope's eight pilgrimages to Poland (before and after the political transformation). The third highlights out the main universal themes raised by the Pope: the dignity of the person, truth and freedom. During consecutive pilgrimages to Poland, he deepened and expanded the themes of his teaching. This collection of his sermons and speeches to Poles constitutes a comprehensive (devoid of redundant repetitions and omissions) treatment of important social, philosophical and theological issues. John Paul II, when speaking to Poles and about Poles, did not lose his universal perspective; he appealed both to Christians and to all people of good will. Papal pilgrimages to Poland are a significant part of modern Polish history, and their message is a valuable intellectual and spiritual gift.

This work analyzes the severity and risk associated with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) message drop out in Detect and Avoid (DAA) function of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Performance assessment of the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) ADS-B message implies that in some cases ADS-B fails to update within a specified update interval, which is referred to as drop out in this work. ADS-B is a fundamental surveillance sensor for both class 1 and class 2 DAA systems. Message loss or drop out has been found as one of the common limitations of the ADS-B system. The key feature of this study is incorporating the update rate of real ADS-B data transmitted from the manned aircraft. The data were received from the Grand Forks International Airport, North Dakota. Monte Carlo method has been adopted to resolve encounter scenarios in the presence of drop out. The change in the alert triggered by the UAS DAA in the presence of ADS-B drop out has been investigated. Furthermore, the risk matrices are created to quantify the associated risk with drop out affected alerts. Simulation results depict that both the duration of drop out and DAA look-ahead time affect the alert-triggering function of UAS. With a small look- ahead window and longer duration of drop out, the number of warning alerts increases. Also, alerts are affected more during an overtaking encounter than that of a head-to-head encounter. A system-level analysis is also carried out to recognize the potential reasons behind the ADS-B drop out.

Background: Prior to the federal law passed in late 2019, many states passed an increased age of sale law prohibiting youth under age 21 (or Tobacco 21) from purchasing tobacco products and e-cigarettes. Although previous research has documented tobacco retail sales violations, fewer studies have examined age verification and illegal tobacco sales in the context of Tobacco 21 or in repeated purchase attempts in various settings. Methods: In this study conducted between 2019 and 2022, buyers aged 18 to 20 years made repeated unsupervised purchase attempts of cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, tobacco-free nicotine pouches and/or smokeless tobacco in store visits to over 180 tobacco or vape retailers in New Jersey, New York City, and Pitt County, North Carolina. Buyers documented whether they were asked for identification and whether they were able to successfully purchase a tobacco or nicotine product at each visit. Results: The primary outcome will be the percent of retailers that checked buyers’ identification at store visits and the precent of visits that resulted in a successful underage tobacco product purchase. We will aim to compare the results across time periods and study sites while controlling for other factors (including repeated visits). Conclusion: These results will be beneficial to designing compliance check inspections and/or interventions that reduce youth access to tobacco.

Providing data on usage patterns is key to assessing the reduced-risk potential of novel tobacco and nicotine products at a population level. We performed a nationwide cross-sectional survey of the general population in Japan to assess usage patterns after the introduction of tobacco heating products (THPs). Eligible participants were Japanese residents, aged 20 years or older who consented to complete the survey. Individuals living in institutions were excluded. A three-stage probability sampling method was applied that was geographically stratified by street blocks proportionate to population density. Respondents self-reported patterns of product use and reasons for THP use. Complete responses were available from 5,306 individuals, of whom 933.5 (17.6%) were current users, 984.2 (18.5%) were former users and 3388.4 (63.9%) were never users of tobacco products. Cigarettes were used by 14.6% of current tobacco product users and THPs by 5.3%. Cigarettes and THPs were used exclusively by 64.5% and 12.2%, respectively, and both were used by 12.7%. The most common reasons reported for THP use were perceived reduction in harm to self and others compared to cigarettes. While the prevalence of cigarette use in Japan is decreasing, THPs seem to be increasingly used as long-term alternatives to cigarette smoking.

Climate change related increases in frequency and intensity of heatwaves affect viticulture, leading to losses in yield and grape quality. We assessed whether canopy architecture manipulation mitigates the effects of summer stress in a Mediterranean vineyard. Muscat of Alexandria grapevines were monitored during 2019-2020. Two canopy shoot positioning treatments were applied: Vertical shoot positioning (VSP); and Modulated shoot positioning (MSP), the west side upper foliage released to promote partial shoot leaning, shading the clusters. Clusters were sampled at pea size (PS), veraison (VER) and full maturation (FM). Measurements included rachis anatomy and hydraulic conductance, and aquaporins (AQP) and stress-related genes expression in cluster tissues. Results show significant seasonal and interannual differences in Kh and vascular anatomy. At VER, Krachis , Krachis+pedicels, and xylem diameter decreased but were unaffected by treatments. The Phloem/Xylem ratio was either increased (2019) or reduced (2020) in MSP, compared to VSP. Most AQP were down-regulated at FM in pedicels, and up-regulated at VER in pulp. A potential maturation shift in MSP was observed, confirmed by the up-regulation of several stress-related genes in all tissues. The study pinpoints the role of canopy architecture in berry water relations and stress response during ripening.

Background: This study attempted to construct musculoskeletal JEM using KWCS data and use it to evaluate the burden of these disorders in Korean workers. Methods: This study was conducted using data from the second to the sixth KWCS, and a total of 210,500 people were included. The jobs of the subjects were reclassified based on the unit groups of the 7th Korean Standard Classification of Occupation (KSCO). The intensity of exposure to work-related risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders was classified into ‘high’, ‘moderate’, and ‘low’ for the body segments involving the ‘upper extremities and neck’, ‘lower back’, and ‘lower extremities’. Results: The time of exposure was longest in the standing posture and repetitive hand and arm movements. An analysis of the intensity of exposure by body segments revealed that the highest intensity of exposure was to the upper extremities. For the upper extremities and neck, and the lower back, there was a exposure-response relationship in the association between intensity of exposure and musculoskeletal symptoms. However, for the lower extremities, there was a exposure-response relationship only at high exposure. Conclusion: In this study, a JEM for work-related risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders was constructed for the first time in Korea. The intensity of exposure to musculoskeletal risk factors was estimated for each occupation. The JEM constructed in this study is expected to have high applicability for assessing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders for each job with respect to the upper extremities and neck, and lower back.

The influence of short term water absorption on the mechanical properties of halloysite nanotubes-multi layer graphene reinforced polyester hybrid nanocomposites has been investigated. The addition of nano-fillers significantly increased the flexural strength; tensile strength and impact strength in dry and wet conditions. After short term water exposure; the maximum microhardness; tensile; flexural and impact toughness values were observed at 0.1 wt% MLG. The microhardness increased up to 50.3%; tensile strength increased up to 40% and flexural strength increased up to 44%. Compared to dry samples; the fracture toughness and surface roughness of all types of produced nanocomposites were increased that may be attributed to plasticization effect. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the main failure mechanism is caused by the weakening of nano-filler-matrix interface induced by water absorption. It was further observed that synergistic effects were not effective at concentration of 0.1 wt% to produce considerable improvement in mechanical properties of produced hybrid nanocomposites.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, anxiety, hyperactivity, and restricted interest for specific subjects. In addition to the genetic factors, multiple environmental factors have been related to the development of ASD. Animal models can serve as crucial tools for understanding the complexity of ASD and identifying potential therapeutic strategies. In this study, a chemical model of ASD has been developed in zebrafish by exposing embryos to valproic acid (VPA) from 4 to 48 hours post-fertilization. After the exposure, embryos were transferred to fish water and the effects on behavior and neurotransmitters profile were analyzed at both larval and adult stages. Larvae from VPA-treated embryos showed hyperactivity and decreased visual and vibrational escape responses, as well as an altered neurotransmitters profile, with increased glutamate and decreased acetylcholine and norepinephrine levels. Adults from VPA-treated embryos exhibited impaired social behavior characterized by larger shoal sizes and a decreased interest for their conspecifics. Neurotransmitter analysis revealed a significant decrease in dopamine and GABA levels in the brain. These results support the interest of this model in the study of ASD.

In recent experimental studies, we reported the aggravating effects of Asian sand dust (ASD) on male reproductive function in mice. However, the effects of fetal ASD exposure on male reproductive function have not been investigated. The present study investigated the effects of fetal ASD exposure on reproductive function in male offspring. Using pregnant CD-1 mice, ASD was administered intratracheally on days 7 and 14 of gestation, and the reproductive function of male offspring was determined at 5, 10, and 15 weeks after birth. The secondary sex ratio was significantly lower in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. Histologic examination showed partial vacuolation of seminiferous tubules in immature mice. Moreover, daily sperm production (DSP) was significantly less in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. DSP in the fetal ASD-exposed mice was approximately 10% less than the controls at both 5 and 10 weeks. However, both the histologic changes and the DSP decrease were reversed as the mice matured. These findings suggest that ASD exposure affects both the fetal development and the reproductive function of male offspring. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify the onset mechanisms of ASD-induced male fetus death and male reproductive disorders.

Environmental contamination has exposed humans to various metal agents, including mercury. It has been determined that mercury is not only harmful to the health of vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children, but is also toxic to ordinary adults in various ways. For many years, mercury was used in a wide variety of human activities. Nowadays, the exposure to this metal from both natural and artificial sources is significantly increasing. Recent studies suggest that chronic exposure, even to low concentration levels of mercury, can cause cardiovascular, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. Possible biological effects of mercury, including the relationship between mercury toxicity and diseases of the cardiovascular system, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, are being studied. As heart rhythm and function are under autonomic nervous system control, it has been hypothesized that the neurotoxic effects of mercury might also impact cardiac autonomic function. Mercury exposure could have a long-lasting effect on cardiac parasympathetic activity and some evidence show that mercury exposure might affect heart rate variability, particularly early exposures in children. The mechanism by which mercury produces toxic effects on the cardiovascular system is not fully elucidated, but this mechanism is believed to involve an increase in oxidative stress. The exposure to mercury increases the production of free radicals, potentially because of the role of mercury in the Fenton reaction and a reduction in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase. In this review we report an overview on the toxicity of mercury and focus our attention on the toxic effects on the cardiovascular system.

Flavonoids are major secondary metabolites in plants, which play important roles in maintaining the cellular redox balance in cells. Chalcone synthase (CHS) is the key enzyme in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway, and has been proved to monitor the changes to drought stress tolerance. In this work, we overexpressed a CHS gene in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The transgenic tobacco plants were more tolerant than the control plants to drought stress. The transcription levels of the key genes involved in the flavonoids pathway and the contents of seven flavonoids were also significantly raised in the transgenic tobacco plants. In addition, overexpression of the CHS gene lead to a lower concentration of the oxidative stress product malondialdehyde. Overall, the NtCHS gene studied in this work was considered as a candidate gene for genetic engineering to enhance drought tolerance of plants and improve response to oxidative stress.

We have carried out a systematic review of the scientific literature published on PM and, more specifically, on its presence in fish and seafood of interest to the population from Mediterranean area. Given its preference and wide acceptability in the scientific community, we followed the PRISMA. The potential functional and clinical toxicity in humans due to MP in fish must be considered by the chemical composition of the microplastics the presence of PM and its additives, associated contaminants and pathogens in fish and shellfish, as well as the possible effects on human health, requires improving legislation on evaluation and providing a basis for consumer protection.

Background/Objectives: It is known that balance disorders involve occupational hazards. However, the inverse relationship (between certain occupations and an increased incidence of vertigo or dizziness) has been scarcely studied. The objective of this work was to analyze the occupation of a group of patients with vertigo, compared to economically active general population, and to evaluate the prevalence of occupational noise and/or vibration-exposure in both groups. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, case-control study was carried out including 461 patients (220: Meniere’s disease; 73: vestibular migraine; 28: vestibular neuritis; 140: BPPV) (310 women and 151 men). These patients were compared to a control group from the general population, obtained from 6th EWCS-Spain (2015). Possible differences regarding sex, age, occupation, exposure to noise, and exposure to mechanical vibrations were analyzed. Results: Differences in distribution of occupations between patients with vertigo and general population were observed (Chi-square, p=6.142 e-30). Patients with vertigo were significantly more exposed to noise (p=8.19 e-12; OR=2,127, CI95% (1.720;2.630)) and vibrations (p=1.11 e-12; OR=2.288, CI95% (1.835;2.853)) than the control group. These differences were observed both between men and women. Conclusions: A relationship between occupational exposure to noise and/or vibrations and the presence of vertigo was observed. Protective and preventive measures could help prevent the occurrence of some diseases involving vertigo.

Mandible is a bony structure of neuroectodermal origin with unique characteristics that support dentition and jaw movements. In the present study we investigated the effects of gestational exposure to a mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on mandibular growth in mice. The mixture under study (Mixture N1) has been associated with neurodevelopmental effects in both a human cohort and animal studies. Pregnant mice were exposed throughout gestation to 0.5x (times of pregnant women exposure levels), 10x, 100x and 500x of Mixture N1, or the vehicle, and the mandibles of the male offspring were studied in adulthood. Micro-CT analysis showed non-monotonic effects of Mixture N1 in the distances between specific mandibular landmarks and in the crown width of M1 molar, as well as changes in the mandibular bone characteristics. The alveolar bone volume was reduced, and the trabecular separation was increased in the 500X exposed mice. Bone volume in the condyle head was increased in all treated groups. The Alcian blue stained area of pre-hypertrophic chondrocytes in condyle’s head was increased in 0.5x, 10x and 100x groups, while the Safranin-O-stained area of mature hypertrophic chondrocytes was respectively reduced. This is the first indication that prenatal exposure to an epidemiologically defined EDC mixture, associated with neurodevelopmental impacts, can also affect mandibular growth in mammals.

This study aimed to develop a state-of-the-art method for assessing chemical risks. The method combined desk research findings and the authors' practical knowledge to identify the major shortcomings in performing risk assessments at the workplace. Data were collected from nine SMEs across three sectors: agriculture, laboratory research, and conservation and restoration laboratories. The results of the discussions with the workers and on-site observations were used to develop the method to assess chemical risks. The method uses numerical factors to account for the level of conformity and the duration of exposure to support an estimation of the probability of an incident. The developed method was designed to enhance risk assessment practices and tackle common issues encountered by enterprises, including SMEs.

Drug residues that contaminate food and water represent a serious concern for human health, since their irrational use is constantly increasing the amplitude of exposure. Multiple sources contribute to the overall exposure to contaminants, including agriculture, domestic use, personal, public, and veterinary healthcare, increasing the possible origin of contamination. In this review, we focus on crop pesticides and veterinary drug residues because of their extensive use in modern agriculture and farming, which ensures food production and security for the ever-growing population around the world. We discuss crop pesticides and veterinary drug residues with respect to their worldwide distribution and impacts, with special attention on their harmful effects on human reproduction and embryo development, as well as their link to epigenetic alterations, leading to intergenerational and transgenerational diseases. Among the contaminants, the most commonly implicated in causing such disorders are organophosphates, glyphosate and antibiotics, with tetracyclines being the most frequently reported. This review highlights the importance of finding new management strategies for pesticides and veterinary drugs. Moreover, due to the still limited knowledge on inter- and transgenerational effects of these contaminants, we underlie the need to strengthen research in this field, so as to better clarify the specific effects of each contaminant and their long-term impact.

The convergence of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) has made remarkable strides in the realm of industry. The IoT devices in this computing model gather data from various sources and send it to edge servers for real-time processing, which presents a challenge to the existing message queue systems in Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) Edge computing. These systems lack the adaptability to respond to the current state of the system, such as changes in the number of devices, message size, and frequency, and optimize the message transmission mechanism accordingly. Hence, it is critical to devise an approach that can effectively decouple message processing and mitigate workload fluctuations in the AIoT computing environment. To this end, this study introduces a distributed message queue system that is specifically tailored to the AIoT edge environment, utilizing a reinforcement learning approach to optimize message queue performance. Empirical findings reveal that this pioneering method significantly improves system throughput while handling varying message scenarios.

Opportunistic routing has emerged as one of the prominent solutions for efficient data delivery in ad hoc networks especially in highly dynamic scenarios. Opportunistic routing uses the broadcasting nature of the wireless medium to increase the number of potential forwarding nodes in the network, thereby improving the delivery rate. But most of the proposed opportunistic routing protocols suffer from increased duplicate data forwarding at the intermediate nodes in the network which leads to increase in traffic and reduced efficiency. We propose a novel method which uses acknowledgements for controlling the data forwarding by intermediate nodes and thereby eliminating most of the duplicate forwarding in the network. Simulation results show that our proposed method is much more efficient that all the major existing opportunistic protocols.

Background: States adopt different tax bases on smokeless tobacco (SLT), making tax incidence on SLT not directly comparable across states. In addition, how taxes are passed through to SLT prices among states that impose specific taxes, and whether the pass-through rates for SLT are affected by the uptake and evolution of e-cigarettes is unknown. Objective: This study will calculate the tax incidence on SLT and investigate how SLT taxes are passed to prices at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile levels, as well as whether these pass-through rates vary by e-cigarette uptake and evolution. Methods: We regressed SLT prices on specific taxes using Ordinary Least Square regressions while controlling for state-, year-, and quarter-fixed effects. We then tested the difference in tax pass-through rates by different periods. Findings: The average tax incidence on chewing tobacco, moist snuff, dry snuff, and snus is 22%, 22%, 23%, and 20%, respectively. For moist snuff, taxes were fully passed to prices at the 25th and 50th percentiles and overly passed to prices at the 75th percentile. The e-cigarette uptake and evolution significantly raised taxes by 13 cents and 14 cents per ounce, respectively, for moist snuff at the 75th percentile prices. Conclusions: There is room to additionally raise SLT taxes. Given lower tax pass-through rates for lower-priced SLT, price promotion restrictions and minimum pricing laws may be needed to increase the cost of low-priced products. Tobacco companies increase tax pass-through to premium SLT as e-cigarettes grow popular, like the pricing strategy adopted for cigarettes.

Introduction: Young adults are the second largest segment of the immigrant population in the United States (US). Given recent trends in later age of initiation of tobacco use, we examined variation in use of tobacco products by nativity status for this population group. Methods: Our study included young adults 18-30 years of age sampled in the National Health Interview Survey (2015-2019), a nationally representative sample of the US population. We calculated prevalence of use of any and 2 or more tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco) for foreign-born (n=3,096) and US-born (n=6,811) young adults. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race-ethnicity, education, and poverty, while accounting for the complex survey design. Results: Foreign-born young adults were significantly less likely to use any tobacco product (Cigarette = 7.3% vs 10.7%; Cigar= 1.8% vs 4.8%; E-cigarette= 2.3% vs 4.5%, respectively; p<0.01) or poly tobacco use (1.9% vs. 4.2%; p<0.01) than US-born young adults. Adjusted regression models showed lower odds of poly tobacco use among the foreign-born than their US-born counterparts (Odds Ratio = 0.41, (95% Confidence Interval: 0.26-0.63)). Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions by nativity status and further tobacco prevention efforts needed for the US-born.

The purpose of this study is to assess the concentration-response relations between conjunctivitis and exposure to ambient ozone. This retrospective study includes emergency department (ED) visits for conjunctivitis in Edmonton, Canada, for the period April 1992–March 2002. Daily average levels of ozone (range: 1.2–50.9, ppb), of temperature, and of relative humidity were estimated and used for the period of the study. For each of the considered exposure lags, (from 0 to 9 days), six different models were fitted to estimate the concentration-response function. The goodness of fit was assessed using the Akaike information criterion. During the period of the study, 17,211 ED visits for conjunctivitis were recorded and used. For all subjects together, a positive statistically significant association was obtained for the exposure lagged by 5 days. For female subjects, lags 1, 3, and 9 had positive statistically significant associations (lag 2 had negative associations). For male subjects, only lag 5 had a positive statistically significant association. The estimated non-linear concentration-response functions for the considered groups (all, males, females) and lags, revealed the associations along the exposure levels. The fitted shapes are described by algebraic functions and may have various forms. The estimated functions are useful to determine the risk associated with exposure to ground-level ozone.

Pardosa pseudoannulata is one of the most common wandering spiders in agricultural fields and a potentially good bioindicator for heavy metal contamination. However, little is known about the mechanism by which spiders respond to heavy metals at the molecular level. In this study, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing was employed to characterize the de novo transcriptome of the spiders and to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after cadmium exposure. We obtained 60,489 assembled unigenes, 18,773 of which were annotated in the public databases. Ultimately, 3450 cDNA simple sequence repeats were identified and validated as potential molecular markers in the unigenes. A total of 2939, 2491 and 3759 DEGs were detected among the three libraries of two Cd-treated groups and the control. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that metabolism processes and digestive system function were predominately enriched in response to Cd stress. At the cellular and molecular levels, significantly enriched pathways in lysosomes and phagosomes as well as replication, recombination and repair demonstrated that oxidative damage resulted from Cd exposure. Based on the selected DEGs, certain critical genes involved in defence and detoxification were analysed. These results may elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying spiders' responses to heavy metal stress.

Increased norepinephrine (NE) release from the sympathetic nerves during pregnancy in women or animal models, as occurs during stress, modifies the fetal environment and increases flow of NE to the fetus, programing the progeny and affecting its cardiovascular and metabolic function in adulthood. In the present work, gestating rats were exposed to stress during gestation and the female progeny was analyzed for heart and metabolic function. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to cold stress (4 °C/3 h/day); rats’ female progeny were euthanized at 4, 20 and 60 days old and their hearts evaluated to determine the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) mRNA, abundance and affinity to agonists and NE concentration. The in vivo response to glucose overload and the arterial pressure response to isoproterenol (ISO, 125 µg/kg weight/day/10 days) were monitored. Results: At 20 and 60 days old, stressed female progeny presented an increase in ventricular weight and no changes in the cardiac NE as compared with their age-matched controls. The β1AR mRNA in control rats decreased between 4 and 20 days of age, but stressed rats maintained 50% higher levels of mRNA as compared with their age-matched controls. This difference was also found in the protein abundance of β1AR. No differences were found at 60 days old. The β2AR mRNA levels were higher than in controls at both 4 and 20 days old, but not expressed in the amount of protein. An increase in the ratio of β1/β2 receptors was found at 20 days old but not at 60 days old. The displacement of 3H-dihydroalprenolol (DHA) from a membrane fraction with propranolol (β antagonist) showed decreased affinity (at 60 days old) but no changes in the βAR number. In vivo exposure to ISO induced a β-adrenergic overload and provoked death in 40% of stressed females by day 3 of ISO treatment. Regarding metabolic function, we found that stressed rats presented insulin resistance when adults. These data suggest permanent changes to the heart’s adrenergic response and metabolic function after rat progeny were stressed in the uterus.

Background: Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the U.S. with implications for health problems and social disadvantages. Past food insecurity intervention studies have targeted barriers to accessing healthy food. Although, information barriers have not been adequately addressed by food insecurity interventions. Methods: This qualitative study involved testing a text message as an informational nudge through interviews among adults in the southwest U.S. (n = 10). Interview questions focused on the message content, persuasiveness, relevancy, clarity, and details that participants liked and disliked. A qualitative content analysis of interview responses then highlighted any necessary modifications to the text message. Results: Interview responses highlighted that the message conveyed details about how to access food assistance resources. The message was perceived as informative, clear, and friendly. Participants highlighted the need for better spacing in the message layout, more details about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and why SNAP is relevant. Conclusion: Text message readability and informativeness were common concerns raised during interviews. Participant-informed modifications to the text message were applied in preparation for using the message in a food insecurity intervention. Future food insecurity research efforts should similarly test novel interventions to ensure the intervention is acceptable for the target population.

Global warming and the associated increasing frequency of heatwaves are on the rise leading to numerous health complications. Diabetic patients are more vulnerable to heat exposure than healthy individuals, owing to their impaired sweating ability, however, little is known about how heat exposure may impact the function of skin cells, commonly keratinocytes. Our recent report provided the first proof-of-concept revealing that the metabolic composition of sweat EVs is associated with metabolic changes in healthy individuals and type 2 diabetes patients. Given this and the shared cellular proprieties of eccrine sweat glands with keratinocytes, we questioned whether the metabolic changes in sweat EVs may mirror the responses of keratinocytes upon heat exposure. To this, we exposed HaCat, which were maintained in low (mimicking healthy condition) and high glucose (mimicking diabetes condition) to acute (90 min), chronic (48 h), and repetitive heat exposure at 40 ⁰C. Through conducting a set of experiments including a targeted metabolomics approach, Greiss assay, western blotting analysis, and electron microscopy studies. The data demonstrate that heat exposure results in substantial changes of metabolite levels belonging to amino acids, pyrimidine metabolism, and glycolysis pathways in high glucose maintained HaCat cells when compared to those noted in low glucose condition. Exploring the molecular mechanisms through which heat exposure may impact the metabolic composition in keratinocytes, our discoveries highlight nitric oxide (NO) as a novel biomarker that the level is correlated with heat duration and frequency. Furthermore, data reveal that the HSP-70 protein levels and mitochondrial morphology are consequently altered. This study provides evidence of shared metabolic alterations in keratinocytes and sweat EVs collected from clinical study and proposes, for the first time, NO as a novel biomarker for monitoring changes in health and diabetes upon heat exposure.

Cigar stacking fermentation is a key step in tobacco aroma enhancement and miscellaneous gas reduction, which both have a great influence on increasing cigar flavor and improving industrial availability. To analyze the effect of cigar tobacco leaf (CTLs) microbial community structure on volatiles during cigar stacking fermentation, this study used multi-omics technology to reveal the changes in microbial community structure and volatiles of different cigar varieties during stacking fermentation, in addition to exploring the interaction mechanism of microbiome and volatiles. The results showed that the dominant microbial compositions of different CTL varieties during stacking fermentation were similar, which included Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium 1, Aerococcus, and Aspergillus. These dominant microbes mainly affected the microbial community structure and characteristic microorganisms of CTLs through microbial interactions, thereby influencing the transformation of volatiles. Characteristic microorganisms of different CTLs varieties such as Trichothecium, Trichosporon, Thioalkalicoccus and Jeotgalicoccus, were found to posively correlate with characteristic volatiles like megastigmatrienone 4, pyrazine, tetramethyl-, geranyl acetone, and 2-undecanone, 6,10-dimethyl-, respectively. This in turn affected the aroma and sensory quality of the CTLs. This study provides theoretical support for the analysis of the mechanism of microorganisms on volatiles and aroma, and development of microbial agents during cigar stacking fermentation.

Smoking has been established as a major risk factor for developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but less attention has been paid to the effects of smokeless tobacco products. Our objective is to identify potential biomarkers to distinguish the biological effects of combustible tobacco products from those of non-combustible using oral cell lines. Normal human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC), non-metastatic (101A) and metastatic (101B) OSCC cell lines were exposed to different tobacco product preparations (TPPs) including cigarette smoke total particulate matter (TPM), whole-smoke conditioned media (WS-CM), smokeless tobacco extract in complete artificial saliva (STE), or nicotine (NIC) alone. We performed microarray-based gene expression profiling and found 3456 probe sets from 101A, 1432 probe sets from 101B, and 2717 probe sets from HGEC to be differentially expressed. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed xenobiotic metabolism and steroid biosynthesis were the top two pathways that were upregulated by combustible but not by non-combustible TPPs. Notably, aldo-keto reductase genes, AKR1C1 and AKR1C2, were the core genes in the top enriched pathways and were statistically upregulated more than 8 fold by combustible TPPs. Our qRT-PCR results statistically support AKR1C1 as a potential biomarker for differentiating the biological effects of combustible from non-combustible tobacco products.

Background: Exposure to chronic low levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination can lead to immune suppression and nutritional consequences that might greatly contributed in the increase of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The toxicity of AFB1 is greatly vary between different population, affected by age, gender, and environmental factors. Material and subjects: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was measured in 50 blood samples collected from non B, C hepatitis viruses and non CMV-Ab liver disease patients from different general hospitals and polyclinic in KSA during period 01-2013 to 06-2014. All Patients demonstrate elevation of ALT and AST with unknown etiology. Serum samples were obtained and kept at −20 °C for AFB1detection. Results: Out of the 50 blood samples, 38 demonstrate a detectable serum level of AFB1 while the remaining 12 patients were AFB1 negative and used as control participants. While AST was non-significantly different in AFB1 exposed patients, ALT was significantly higher in AFB1 positive samples compared to control AFB1-negative. AFB1 was positively correlated with AST and ALT as liver function enzymes and with age as a risk factor of long duration of AFB1 chronic exposure. Multiple linear regression analysis ascertained the association between AFB1 chronic exposure and ALT increase in liver dysfunction Saudi patients. Conclusion: Measurement of elevated ALT as marker of liver injury in AFB1 chronically exposed Saudi patients can help to avoid the future development of HCC. Moreover, early detection of AFB1 exposure, together with early vaccination against HBV and HCV can remove the synergistic effects of these two etiological factors and thus decrease the risk of developing liver cancer.

Few data are available on the health impact of tobacco heating products (THPs) at the population level. We used systems dynamics modelling to estimate effects in the established THP market in Japan. We projected effects of THP use in overall mortality up to 2100 and compare those projections against a baseline scenario based on smoking rates pre-THP launch, i.e., smoking only. The model was informed using data from publicly available sources and the literature, including population size, yearly deaths and smoking prevalence with initialisation year (2004) and, births and migration from 2004 to 2065. Transitions between products were estimated from cross-sectional population surveys in Japan. Potential life-years saved with the introduction of THPs was 13 million by 2100 compared with smoking only. In worst-case scenario, population health gains would be seen with THPs risk 10–50% lower risk than smoking. Assuming equal risk for dual use and smoking, THP risk would need to be at least 10% lower than smoking to achieve a population health benefit by 2100. In credible scenarios, substantial population health gains will follow the introduction of THPs in Japan in a relatively short time frame.

At the end of the dry season in early March to early April each year, extensive agricultural biomass waste burnings occur throughout insular mainland Southeast Asia. During this biomass burnings period, smoke aerosols blanket the whole regions and were transported and dispersed by predominant westerly and south westerly winds to southern China, Taiwan and as far southern Japan and the Philippines. The extensive and intense burnings coincided with some wildfires in the forests due to high temperature making the region one of the global hot spots of biomass fires. In this study, we focus on the effect of pollutants emitted from biomass burnings in March 2019 at the height of the burnings period to the exposed population and their health impact. The Weather Research Forecast- Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model was used to predict the PM2.5 concentration over the simulating domain and health impacts are then assessed on the exposed population in the four countries of Southeast Asia, namely Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Using the health impact based on log-linear concentration response function and Integrated Exposure Response (IER), the results show that at the peak period of the burnings from 13 to 20 March 2019, Thailand experienced the highest impact, with an estimated 2170 premature deaths. Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia followed, with estimated mortalities of 277, 565, and 314 deaths respectively. However, when considering the impact per head of population, Laos exhibited the highest impact, followed by Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The results highlight the significant health impact and associated economic cost of agricultural waste burnings in Southeast Asia at the end of the dry season. And hence policy makers should take these into account to design measures to reduce the negative impact of widespread burnings on exposed population in the region.

This study addresses the pressing need for flood extent and exposure information in data-scarce and vulnerable regions, with a specific focus on West Africa, particularly Senegal. Leveraging the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and integrating data from Sentinel-1 SAR, Global Surface Water, HydroSHEDS, Global Human Layer Settlement, and MODIS Land Cover, our primary ob-jective is to delineate flood extents and compare them with centennial flood-prone areas, offering a comprehensive assessment of exposure during the period from July to October 2022 across Sen-egal's 14 regions. The findings underscore a total inundation area of 2 951 square kilometers, impacting 297 142 people, 175 square kilometers of urban and 16 square kilometers of crops. Notably, August wit-nessed the largest flooded areas, reaching 780 square kilometers, constituting 0.40% of the coun-try's surface. Subsequent regions, including Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor, Fatick, and Matam, experi-enced varying extents of flooding, with August data showing a 1.34% overall overlap compared to centennial flood-prone areas derived from hydrological and hydraulic modeling. This low per-centage reveals the distinct purposes and natures of the two approaches (remote sensing and modeling), as well as their complementarity. Turning to flood exposure, August emerges as the most critical month, affecting 76 595 people (0.43% of the total population). Dakar, Diourbel, Thiès, and Saint-Louis regions bore substantial impacts, affecting 100 707, 57 648, 31 579, and 26 581 people, respectively. These findings emphasize the imperative for comprehensive disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. The study provides a crucial national-scale perspective to guide Senegal's authorities in formulating effective flood management, intervention, and adaptation strategies.

In this study, we analyse if in-utero exposure to Ramadan fasting period is negatively associated with child nutrition? The data for the analyses come from a retrospective assessment of 924,198 children from 103 demographic and health surveys (DHS) across 56 countries during the period 2003-2020. Considering the month-long Ramadan exposure as a natural experiment, we implement an intent-to-treat framework, comparing outcomes among individuals who were exposed to Ramadan at any time in-utero to those who were not exposed. Our findings do not show significant evidence to conclude that in-utero exposure to Ramadan fasting period is negatively associated with child nutrition. On the contrary, except for stunting in children who had in-utero exposure to Ramadan during the first trimester, among Muslims, we find slightly better nutritional outcomes among children exposed in-utero to Ramadan period. The better nutritional outcomes among children exposed in-utero can be attributed to high nutritious food intake and better hygienic practices during holy months of Ramadan compared to usual months. Our main results are robust to multiple robustness checks.

Drosophila melanogaster serves as a important research model both for genetic investigations and for the study of metal toxicity, facilitating the elucidation of physiological mechanisms comparable to those of human organisms. In our research, we evaluated the toxicity effect resulting from exposure to various concentrations of lead and copper on the prolificity rates throughout the life cycle (egg-adult) of four genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster: wild-type (control), white, brown, and white-vestigial. During our study, the prolificity rates were examined across three repetitions under the impact of exposure to concentrations of 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, and 4.00 mM of copper (CuSO₄) and lead (Pb(C₂H₃O₂₎₂). Prolificity rates throughout the life cycle exhibited variations as a direct consequence of genetic factors, the concentration of exposure, and the specific type of metal, either copper or lead. The mutant white-vestigial genotype revealed an IC₅₀ concentration for prolificity inhibition at lower doses of 2.00 mM for copper and 4.00 mM for lead, in contrast to the control genotype (wild-type), which exhibited an inhibition concentration rate >IC₅₀ of 4.00 mM only in the case of copper. Our results concluded that the (i) dose influences the prolificity rate in a directly proportional manner, (ii) comparative analyses between copper and lead revealed that copper displayed toxicity across all genotypes within the concentration range of 0.50 mM to 2.00 mM. In contrast, lead exhibited toxicity within the concentration range of 1.00 mM to 4.00 mM, highlighting a (iii) more acute toxicity characteristic in the case of copper. Thus, the results of this research reflect the importance of using Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model in the comparative study of the interaction between genetic factors and the toxicity of metals, offering significant insights into monitoring their impact and defining the maximum permissible doses on organisms.

Toxicity mechanisms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a chemical class present in diverse ecosystems, are not well characterized in aquatic species. Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA, C8H2F17NO2S) is a common precursor of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), a long-chain PFAS. Here, we assessed sub-lethal endpoints related to development, oxidative stress, locomotor activity, and gene expression in zebrafish embryos and larvae following continuous exposure to PFOSA beginning at 6 hours post fertilization (hpf). PFOSA decreased survival in fish treated with 1 µg/L PFOSA, however the effect was modest relative to the controls (difference of 10%). Exposure up to 10 µg/L PFOSA did not affect hatch rate, nor did it induce reactive oxygen species in 7-day-old larvae fish. However, locomotor activity of larval fish treated with 100 µg/L PFOSA was reduced relative to the solvent control. Transcripts related to oxidative stress response and apoptosis were measured and BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator (bax), cytochrome c, somatic (cycs), catalase (cat), superoxide dismutase 2 (sod2) were induced with high concentrations of PFOSA. Genes related to neurotoxicity were also measured and transcript levels of acetylcholinesterase (ache), elav-like RNA binding protein 3 (elavl3), growth associated protein 43 (gap43), synapsin II (syn2a), and tubulin 3 (tubb3) levels were all increased in larval fish with higher PFOSA exposure. This study contributes to our knowledge regarding the relative toxicity of PFOSA to fish and contributes data to future risk assessment strategies of these concerning, persistent environmental pollutants.

Human milk (HM) feedings are associated with reduced risks of neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive delays and systemic inflammatory diseases in infants born prematurely and/or at a low birth weight. Utilizing a neonatal piglet model, HM feedings were compared to bovine milk-derived infant formula (IF)-feedings with the aim of understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in reducing these risks. Six male piglets at postnatal-day (PD)2 were randomized into two feeding groups: HM-fed (n = 3) or IF-fed (n = 3) for 28 days. At 3- and 4-weeks-old, piglet memory and learning performance were assessed using novel object recognition (NOR). At PD30 piglets were euthanized, and whole brains were excised, weighed, and preserved for further analyses, and brain microglial morphology, and systemic inflammatory cytokines were quantified. During NOR, HM-fed piglets had significantly more non-novel revisits at both 3- and 4-weeks-old compared to IF-fed piglets. Microglia of HM-fed piglets had longer processes, more branch points, more endpoints, and a larger territorial volume compared to IF-fed piglets at PD30. In a neonatal piglet model, HM-feedings may improve cognition and reduce brain inflammatory response compared to IF-feedings.

(1) Background: The CEO message of hospital homepage contain various contents such as the hospital's future vision, promises with customers, upgraded services and public activities. The CEO’s message of the homepage includes non-financial information as well as financial information of corporates. Also, it provides useful information for not only company's goals and vision but also firm performance and strategies for the future. This study aims to investigate associations between CEO’s message of hospitals homepages and financial status. We used the balanced scorecard frame to analyze what content on the hospital's homepage is related to the hospital's various financial ratios. (2) Methods: We adopt a text mining method to extract significantly repeated keywords from the CEO’s message of hospital website. And we classify these keywords by a balanced scorecard frame. To examine the relationship between keywords of CEO’s message of the hospital homepage and hospital’s financial ratio, T-test is conducted for the difference in the TF-IDF (Term Frequency is Divided by Inverse Document Frequency) mean of the home page contents and its relationship with the views of the balanced scorecard framework. (3) Results: According to empirical results on 65 samples collected from local hospitals, there are some significant relationship between the qualitative content of the hospital's homepage and the quantitative financial ratio that indicates profitability, activity, leverage, liquidity, and transfer to essential business fund (EBF) income. (4) Conclusions: The introduction section of a homepage is most accessible to customers, containing the aims and ideals of hospitals and reflecting their values and visions [1]. In addition, in view of financial status, they can either emphasize financial strength or focus on other areas to mask weakness of financial information. This study reminds us of the importance of hospital website’s disclosure, and it can be inferred from the financial status of the hospital. It also highlights the need for harmonization between quantitative data, financial statements, and qualitative data, CEO’s messages. (5) Implications: To our best knowledge, this paper is the first research attempting to investigate the relation between text of hospital homepage and financial ratio of hospital through text mining technique and balanced scorecard frame. Hospitals take a crucial part in a country’s welfare and healthcare backbone industry. Nevertheless, in many countries, hospital organization sectors tend to remain a source of critical fiscal deficits due to its ineffective and sloppy management. We expect that the result of this paper can provide hospital managers to useful information.

Rapidly and accurately extracting tobacco plant information can facilitate tobacco planting man-agement, precise fertilization and yield prediction. In karst plateau of southern China, tobacco plant identification is affected by large ground undulations, fragmented planting areas, complex and diverse habitats and uneven plant growth. This study took a tobacco planting area in Gui-zhou Province as the research object and used DJI UAVs to collect UAV visible light images. Considering plot fragmentation, plant size, presence of weeds and shadow masking, this area was classified into eight habitats. The datasets of different habitats were constructed to train the U-Net model. The results show that (1) the overall precision, recall, F1-score and IOU of tobacco plant information extraction were 0.68, 0.85, 0.75 and 0.60, respectively. (2) The precision was the highest for the subsurface-fragmented and weed-free habitat and the lowest for the smooth-tectonics and weed-infested habitat. (3) The weed-infested habitat with smaller tobacco plants can cause blurred images, reducing the plant identification accuracy. This study verified the feasibility of the U-Net model for tobacco single-plant identification in complex habitats. Decomposing complex habitats to establish the sample set method is a new attempt to improve crop identification in complex habitats in karst mountainous areas.

More than two-thirds of death in developing countries are due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and tobacco is a leading risk factor. Among different socio-demographic factors, occupation and its corelates have impact on use of smokeless tobacco (SLT) and the evidence in India is limited. The objectives of this study are to find out the overall preva-lence of SLT use and its pattern of association with various occupation and associated variables. Methods: This study used data from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave 1. Current and ever users of SLT are taken into consideration as target population. For the data analysis, survey-weighted tools have been applied for descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic re-gression model. The weighted data analysis has been done using R. Results and Discussion: From the sample size of 65561, 38% have ever used either smoking or SLT, of them, 40 % use to-bacco in smoke form, 51 % use SLT and 9 % take both. At the population level, 22.8% and 20.4% are ever and current users of SLT respectively. Type, place, and workload in the occupation found to be significantly associated with SLT use. Workplace tobacco-cessation-policy for infor-mal-workers is required to manage this issue.

Fluoride (iF) is important inorganic pollutant in groundwater in central México. The aim of this study was estimated environmental risk exposure of iF in residents of Jerez Zacatecas México. Fifty-five tap water samples were collected from households to determine iF concentrations using the ion-selective electrode method. Based on these environmental values, the Hazard Quotient (HQ) was estimated following the methodology of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Subsequently, risk maps were generated from these values to visualize the spatial distribution of high-risk areas within the city. iF in tap water ranger in concentration from 1.3 – 7.3 mg/L (ppm). We estimated HQ in a range of 0.63 to 3.73. iF ex-posure in tap water is a health problem that must be addressed, carrying out risk communication actions that allow the population to take care of their health through simple actions, avoiding future health costs.

Research interest in the occurrence, distribution, fate, and toxicity of N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) quinone, a derivative of the tire amino antioxidant 6PPD in urban environments, has surged. While several studies have found that 6PPD quinone exhibits acute, reproductive, and behavioral toxicity as well as mutagenicity and hepatotoxicity in aquatic and terrestrial animals, its environmental exposure data are fragmented and lack coherence across the source-to-exposure continuum, making it difficult to use for risk assessment and regulatory purposes. The present work developed an aggregate exposure pathway (AEP) framework to integrate the exposure data. An AEP network was developed for the atmospheric deposition of 6PPD quinone from tire wear in the Pearl River Delta, which led to human exposure. The 6PPD quinone research was organized, visualized, and evaluated with pertinent knowledge gaps identified using the weight of evidence assessment. Eight key exposure states were identified, with only two having high confidence levels and three having low confidence levels. Empirical support for the key transitional relationships decreased from High to Low from the source to the target site, indicating an urgent need for downstream mechanistic data. The proposed AEP framework integrated diverse 6PPD quinone research, facilitating a mechanistic understanding of the source-to-outcome continuum, as well as the development of quantitative predictive models for future research and environmental regulation.

Background: The workplace burnout syndrome is often associated with particular aspects of certain job positions, especially those which entail working with people with special needs. The burnout syndrome in healthcare jobs is a serious problem which has grown into an epidemic among healthcare workers and associates. Objectives: The aim of this research is to assess the presence of stress and burnout syndrome at work with healthcare workers, expert workers, professional associates and associates in social service institutions in Belgrade. Material and Methods: This research has been conducted in the form of a cross-sectional study of a representative sample in social institutions in Belgrade. It has been conducted from March to the end of June of 2023. The sample of the study had 491 participants. The questionnaires used were a structured instrument with social-demographic and social-economic characteristics, workplace characteristics, life style characteristics, and the following questionnaires: DASS-21, Copenhagen, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Results: The end results indicate the following to be significant risk factors for the occurrence of workplace burnout syndrome: overtime (OR=2.62; CI=1.50-4.56), BRS average score (OR=0.28; CI=0.17-0.44), DASS21 D heightened depression (OR=2.09; CI=1.1-4.04), DASS21 A heightened anxiety (OR=2.38; CI=1.34-4.21), DASS21 S heightened stress (OR=2.08; CI=1.11-3.89). The only protective risk factor which stood out was the self-assessment of health levels (OR=0.60; CI=0.42-0.85). Conclusion: Overtime is a significant predictor of workplace burnout. Apart from it, other significant predictors of workplace burnout were heightened depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus forced many individuals to confront their mortality and worry about losing loved ones also because social distancing policies often made it impossible to say goodbye. Those not directly experiencing loss were inundated with information about COVID-19-related deaths through various media, leading to vicarious grief. This study aims to explore the long-term effects of direct and vicarious mourning on people's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 171 adults (65% female) aged 19 to 66 years (mean age = 25.8, SD = 8.57) voluntarily participated in an online survey assessing self-reported psychological measures of complicated grief, anxiety, stress, depression, dispositional neuroticism, and situational anxiety using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. MANOVA tests revealed that individuals experiencing direct mourning had extremely severe scores for anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19, while those without personal losses had moderate scores. Participants reporting high media exposure had higher scores for depression and stress. In line with Terror Management Theory, the study supported that people during the COVID-19 pandemic engaged more in proximal defenses than distal ones, taking health-protective measures, experiencing increased anxiety levels toward SARS-CoV-2 infection, and feeling more distressed. Additionally, vicarious mourning was more strongly associated with depression due to emotional empathy with others. The discussion also addresses the strengths and limitations of the study.

In attempting to predict the further course of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, mathematical models of different types are frequently employed and calibrated to reported case numbers. Among the major challenges in interpreting these data is the uncertainty about the amount of undetected infections, or conversely: the detection ratio. As a result, some models include assumptions about the percentage of detected cases among total infections while others completely neglect undetected cases. Here, we illustrate how model projections about case and fatality numbers vary significantly under varying assumptions on the detection ratio. Uncertainties in model predictions can be significantly reduced by representative testing, both for antibodies and active virus RNA, to uncover past and current infections that have gone undetected thus far.

This analysis examines the wide range of occupational and environmental health risks that affect people in diverse settings. This article emphasizes the importance of conducting exposure and risk assessments to safeguard public health by analyzing various hazards, including arsenic, oil accidents, lead, welding fumes, and mycotoxins. Various methodologies are utilized in these research articles to conduct the study, emphasizing hazard identification, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The results uncover harmful substances, vulnerable demographics, and occupational duties linked to increased hazards. The report suggests various mitigation strategies, such as targeted interventions, enhanced community efforts, and improved exposure estimates. Notwithstanding the constraints identified in certain studies, the review emphasizes the necessity for continuous investigation to improve assessments of exposure, comprehend the cumulative effects, and examine the wider societal consequences. The significance of sector-specific risk assessments, protective measures, and ongoing monitoring is underscored to ensure mental and physical health protection.

Studies suggest that elevated postnatal blood lead levels (BLLs) are negatively associated with child growth. This study aimed to investigate associations of childhood BLLs at age one-year and growth outcomes at age six-years (n=661) in a cohort of children in Allada, Benin. The growth outcomes studied are weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) and BMI-for-age Z-score (BMIZ), head circumference (HC), underweight, stunting, and wasting. Multivariable regression models examined associations between blood lead levels, growth outcomes with adjustment for potential confounders. The geometric mean BLLs was 59.3 μg/L and 82% of children had BLLs &gt;35 μg/L at one year. After adjusting for confounding factors, no association was found between BLLs quartiles and HAZ, WAZ, BMIZ, and height and weight growth velocities. However, boys in the highest quartile had 1.02 cm lower HC (95% CI: [-1.81, -0. 24]) as compared to those in the lowest quartile with a dose-response trend across quartiles (Ptrend =0.02). Furthermore, an increased risk of being stunted was observed in children in the highest quartile of exposure compared to the first (OR: 2.43; 95% CI: [1.11 – 5.33]) with a dose-response trend (Ptrend =0.03). Blood lead was found to be associated with an increased risk of childhood stunting and lower head circumference in a resource-limited setting.

Indian tobacco farm laborers are primarily women and children working for very low wages. The aim of this study was to explore occupational and reproductive health challenges faced by women tobacco farm labors in Mysore District, India. We conducted interview and six focus group discussions among 41 women tobacco farm laborers. Codes and themes were generated based on deductive and inductive approaches using the socio-ecological model. Participants reported symptoms of green tobacco sickness including headaches, back pain, gastric problems, weakness, and allergies during menstruation, pre-natal, and post-natal periods. Participants had poor awareness about the health effects of tobacco farming and there were gender inequalities in wages and use of personal protective equipment. Participants received support from family and commu-nity health workers during their pregnancy and post-natal period. Women reported wanting ma-ternity benefits from the tobacco board, monetary support, and nutritional supplements. There is a need for health education about the environmental dangers of tobacco among farm laborers, and more supportive policies for women farmworkers during pregnancy and post-natal periods.

To elucidate the function of the cold resistance regulatory gene FmNAC1 from Fraxinus mandshurica, this study identified the role that the overexpression of the FmNAC1 gene plays in tobacco growth and cold stress regulation. The cloned FmNAC1 gene from F. mandshurica is 891 bp in length and encodes 296 amino acids. Our subcellular localization analysis confirmed that FmNAC1 is primarily located in the nucleus and functions as a transcription factor. FmNAC1 is responsive to cold and NaCl stress, as well as to the induction of IAA, GA, and ABA hormone signals. To further elucidate its function in cold resistance, four transgenic tobacco lines of FmNAC1 overexpression（FmNAC1-OE）were generated through tissue culture after the agrobacterium-mediated transformation of wild-type (WT) tobacco. These FmNAC1-OE plants exhibited accelerated growth after transplantation. When exposed to low-temperature conditions at -5°C for 24 hours, the rates of wilting and yellowing of the FmNAC1-OE plants were significantly lower than those of the WT tobacco plants. Additionally, the membrane integrity, osmotic regulation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging abilities of the FmNAC1-OE tobacco lines were better than those of the WT plants, indicating the potential of the FmNAC1 gene to improve plant cold resistance. The gene expression results further revealed that the FmNAC1 transcription factor exhibits regulatory interactions with growth-related genes such as IAA and AUX1; cold resistance-related genes such as ICE, DREB, and CBF1; and genes involved in the clearance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as CAT and SOD. All of this evidence shows that the FmNAC1 transcription factor from F. mandshurica plays a key role in contributing to the enhancement of growth, cold resistance, and ROS clearance in transgenic tobacco plants.

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are newly developed nicotine delivery systems via inhalation of mainstream aerosols generated during the heating of tobacco leaf materials. Previous studies have shown that the amount of chemicals generated is much lower than that generated by conventional combustible cigarettes. However, little attention has been paid to formate, a conjugated base of formic acid with potentially toxic effects on human health. This study aims to understand the actual emission levels of formate in mainstream aerosols produced by commercially available HTP devices in Japan. Aerosols were generated from four types of devices with regular and menthol-type flavours using a vaping machine following the CRM 81 puffing protocol. Formate was tapped in 5 mM sodium carbonate solution and subsequently analysed by ion chromatography. The results showed the total emission amount of formate ranged from 0.0027 ± 0.0031 to 0.27 ± 0.055 mg L-1, varying with heating temperature and flavour type. Moreover, the majority of formate existed as a particulate form due to the weak-basic property of the aerosol, and the formate emission level was much greater than the workplace exposure limit for the direct inhalation of mainstream aerosols. The formate in the mainstream aerosol can be considered a health concern, when using “high-temperature type” HTPs over a long period.

The South African government introduced a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Among other restrictions, the government banned the sale of tobacco products, which lasted for nearly five months. We performed a Google search using the keywords smok*, puff*, lockdown, tobacco, and cigarette*, for articles published in English from 23 March 2020to 18 December 2020 and analysed 441 online media articles. We identified the main arguments made by proponents and opponents of the tobacco sales ban, which were categorised into themes. Three themes were prominent: medical, legal, and economic/financial. Legal aspects were covered in 48% of articles, followed by economic (34%), and medical aspects (18%). The media was generally ambivalent about the tobacco sales ban during the first five weeks of lockdown. Sentiment then turned against the ban. because the medical rationale was not well communicated by the government, there was limited empirical evidence of a link between smoking and contracting Covid-19, and the sales ban was ineffective, since most smokers still purchased cigarettes. Policy framing in the media plays an important role in how the public receives the policy. Any future tobacco control policy intervention should be well-considered and appropriate cessation support services offered.

In current severe global emergency situation of 2019-nCov outbreak, it is imperative to identify vulnerable and susceptible groups for effective protection and care. Recently, studies found that 2019-nCov and SARS-nCov share the same receptor, ACE2. In this study, we analyzed five large-scale bulk transcriptomic datasets of normal lung tissue and two single-cell transcriptomic datasets to investigate the disparities related to race, age, gender and smoking status in ACE2 gene expression and its distribution among cell types. We didn’t find significant disparities in ACE2 gene expression between racial groups (Asian vs Caucasian), age groups (>60 vs <60) or gender groups (male vs female). However, we observed significantly higher ACE2 gene expression in former smoker’s lung compared to non-smoker’s lung. Also, we found higher ACE2 gene expression in Asian current smokers compared to non-smokers but not in Caucasian current smokers, which may indicate an existence of gene-smoking interaction. In addition, we found that ACE2 gene is expressed in specific cell types related to smoking history and location. In bronchial epithelium, ACE2 is actively expressed in goblet cells of current smokers and club cells of non-smokers. In alveoli, ACE2 is actively expressed in remodelled AT2 cells of former smokers. Together, this study indicates that smokers especially former smokers may be more susceptible to 2019-nCov and have infection paths different with non-smokers. Thus, smoking history may provide valuable information in identifying susceptible population and standardizing treatment regimen.

In tobacco plants, symbiont endophytic fungi are widely distributed in all tissues where they play important roles. It is therefore important to determine the species distribution and characteristics of endophytic fungi in tobacco. Here, two parasitic fungi Leptosphaerulina chartarum and Curvularia trifolii were isolated and identified from normal tobacco tissue. We sequenced the mitogenomes of these two species and analysed their features, gene content, and evolutionary histories. The L. chartarum and C. trifolii mitochondrial genomes were 68,926 bp and 59,100 bp long circular molecules with average GC contents of 28.60% and 29.31%, respectively. The L. chartarum mitogenome contained 36 protein coding genes, 26 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS), which were located on both strands. The C. trifolii mitogenome contained 26 protein coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS). The L. chartarum 26 tRNAs ranged from 70 bp to 84 bp in length, whereas the 29 tRNAs in C. trifolii ranged from 71 bp to 85 bp. L. chartarum and C. trifolii mtDNAs had an identical mitochondrial gene order and orientation and were phylogenetically identified as sisters. These data therefore provide an understanding of the gene content and evolutionary history of species within Pleosporales.

The purpose of this study was to identify different adolescent profiles identified by their use tobacco/alcohol and violent behavior repertoires as well as to analyze the extent to which they show impulsivity traits. Participants were selected by cluster random sampling. There was a total of 822 high school students in the sample aged 13 to 18 years with a mean of 14.84 (SD=.87). A cluster analysis with the following variables was done to form the groups: Use of tobacco, Use of alcohol, Physical aggression, Verbal aggression, Anger and Hostility. Three groups of adolescents resulted from these five variables. The multivariate comparison demonstrated the existence of significant between-group differences, and individual analysis for each of the dependent variables (impulsivity dimensions) showed that the relationship was statistically significant in all cases. In conclusion, analysis of factors possibly associated with adolescent’s risk behavior makes possible and orients intervention in different stages of development for sustainable consumption in adolescents.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause variable symptoms, which may be irreversible if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. We aimed to develop a widely accepted expert consensus to guide the practice of diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the literature published in PubMed since January 2003. Data were used to design a two-round Delphi survey to study the level of consensus among 42 experts. Results: The panelists agreed on the need for educational and organizational changes in the current medical practices for diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Recognition of clinical symptoms should receive the highest priority in establishing the diagnosis. There is agreement that the serum B12 concentration is useful as a screening marker, whereas methylmalonic acid or homocysteine can support the diagnosis. Patient lifestyle, disease history and medications can provide clues to the cause of B12 deficiency. Regardless of the cause of the deficiency, initial treatment with parenteral B12 was regarded as the first choice for patients with acute and severe manifestations of B12 deficiency. The use of high-dose oral B12 at different frequencies may be considered for long-term treatment. Prophylactic B12 supplementation should be considered for specific high-risk groups. Conclusions: There is a consensus that clinical symptoms need to receive more attention in establishing a diagnosis. B12 laboratory markers can support the diagnosis. The severity of clinical symptoms, the causes of B12 deficiency and the treatment goals govern decisions regarding the route and dose of B12 therapy.

Background and objectives: The impact of prenatal exposure to polycyclicaromatic 17 hydrocarbons (PAHs) on birth outcomes as weight, length, head circumference, placenta 18 weight, and Apgar. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of children born in the years 2013 and 19 2014 in Karvina (Northern Moravia, N=144) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia, 20 N=198), were studied for the relationship between the prenatal exposure to PAHs and growth 21 parameters up to two years of age. PAHs exposure was evaluated according to the concentration 22 of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in polluted air and monohydroxylated PAH metabolites (OH-PAHs) 23 in urine of newborns as well as their mothers. Data of growth parameters were obtained from 24 pediatric questionnaires up to 24 months. 25 Results: Concentrations of B[a]P were significantly higher in Karvina (p<0.001). OH-26 PAH metabolites were significantly higher in the mothers´ as well as in the newborns´ urine in 27 Karvina. The length was shorter in newborns in Karvina at birth (p<0.001), but this difference 28 was straightened out during next 3 to 24 months. Birth weight at the delivery did not differ 29 between newborns in Karvina and Ceske Budejovice. Newborns in both locations significantly 30 decreased their weight gain between birth and 3 months after delivery. OH-PAHs metabolites 31 in mother’s or newborn’s urine did not affect birth weight. Top 25% values of concentrations 32 of 2-OH-FLUO, 1-OH-NAP, 2-OH-NAP, 1-OH-PHEN, 2-OH-PHEN, 3-OH-PHEN, 4-OH-33 PHEN, and the sum of all-OH-PAHs higher than median in the newborns´ urine decreased their 34 length. 2-OH-PHEN top 25% of concentrations in the newborns´ urine decreased their head 35 circumference, 2-OH-FLUO, 1-OH-NAP, 2-OH-NAP, 1-OH-PHEN, 2-OH-PHEN, 3-OH-36 PHEN, 4-OH-PHEN, 9-OH-PHEN, 1-OH-PYR, and all-OH-PAHs decreased placenta weight; 37 2-OH-FLUO, 1-OH-NAP, 2-OH-NAP, 1-OH-PHEN, 2-OH-PHEN, 3-OH-PHEN, 4-OH-38 PHEN, and all-OH-PAHs decreased Apgar 5´. Conclusions: We observed that higher 39 concentration of PAHs determined as OH-PAHs metabolites in newborns´ urine decreased their 40 length, head circumference, placenta weight, and Apgar 5´, but did not affect birth weight.

Among humans, simply looking at infants can activate affiliative and nurturant behaviors. However, it remains unknown whether mere exposure to infants also activates other aspects of the caregiving motivational system, such as generalized defensiveness in the absence of immediate threats. Here, we demonstrate that simply viewing faces of infants (especially from the ingroup) may heighten vigilance against social threats and support for institutions that purportedly maintain security. Across two studies, participants viewed and rated one among several image types (between-subjects design): infants, adult males, adult females, and puppies in Study 1, and infants of varying racial/ethnic groups (including one's ingroup) and puppies in Study 2. Following exposure to one of these image types, participants completed measures of intergroup bias from a range of outgroups that differed in perceived threat, belief in a dangerous world, right-wing authoritarianism and social-political conservatism (relative to liberalism). In Study 1 (United States), stronger affiliative reactions to images of infants (but not adults or puppies) predicted stronger perceptions of a dangerous world, endorsement of right-wing authoritarianism, and support for social-political conservatism (relative to liberalism). Study 2 (Italy) revealed that exposure to images of ingroup infants (compared to outgroup infants) increased intergroup bias against outgroups that are characterized as threatening (immigrants and Arabs) and increased conservatism. These findings suggest a predisposed preparedness for social vigilance in the mere suggested presence of infants e.g., viewing images, even in the absence of salient external threats.

The prolonged exposure to nicotine and the development of nicotine dependence have significant implications for cancer risk. Tobacco use, driven by nicotine addiction, is a major contributing factor to the development of various types of cancer. Smoking tobacco, in particular, has been strongly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, as well as other malignancies. The harmful chemicals present in tobacco products, including carcinogens, can cause DNA damage and promote the initiation and progression of cancerous cells. This article presents a comprehensive literature review on the neurobiology of nicotine dependence and its implications for tobacco use treatment. Nicotine dependence is a complex phenomenon involving various neurobiological mechanisms. When nicotine enters the body, it binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain's reward circuitry, triggering the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Over time, repeated nicotine exposure leads to neuroadaptive changes in the brain, resulting in increased motivation to seek and use the drug. Understanding the neurobiology of nicotine dependence is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies. Pharmacological interventions, such as nicotine replacement therapy and medications like bupropion and varenicline, can help individuals manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, behavioral therapies and counseling play a vital role in enhancing self-efficacy and providing support for smoking cessation efforts. By reviewing the existing literature, this article sheds light on the intricate neural pathways and processes involved in nicotine addiction. It emphasizes the importance of a multidimensional approach that combines pharmacological treatments and behavioral interventions to address the physiological and psychological aspects of nicotine dependence. This knowledge can inform the development of more targeted and personalized treatment approaches to help individuals overcome tobacco addiction and improve their chances of successful smoking cessation.

Chronic exposure to the nephrotoxic metal pollutant, cadmium (Cd), has been associated with hypertension, but the mechanism by which it raises blood pressure is not understood. We hypothesize that exposure to Cd reduces the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which in turn, causes a rise in blood pressure. Data were collected from 447 Thai subjects with a mean age of 51.1 years, of which 48.8% had hypertension, 15.4% had diabetes and 6.9% had an estimated GFR (eGFR) below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (low eGFR). The mean blood and urinary Cd concentrations were 2.75 and 4.23 µg/L, respectively. The prevalence odds ratio (POR) for hypertension rose twofold in those with blood Cd levels of 0.61-1.69 µg/L or urinary Cd excretion levels ≥ 0.98 µg/g creatinine. In the hypertensive group, the eGFR was inversely associated with age (β =−0.517), the Cd excretion rate (β = −0.177), and diabetes (β = −0.175). Mean eGFR in the normotensive group was 7.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 higher than the hypertensive with a similar Cd body burden. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) in those with low or medium eGFR plus heavy Cd body burden was 9.5 mmHg higher than those with the same Cd body burden and a normal eGFR. By mediation analysis, a 22.7% increase in SBP and a 5% increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were attributable to the effect of Cd on GFR. Thus, a rise of blood pressure appears to be a consequence of GFR loss due to Cd-induced kidney damage. This finding is consistent with a well-known role of the kidney in long-term blood pressure regulation.

Exposure to cadmium sulfate (CdSO4) can lead to neurotoxicity. Nevertheless, the precise molec-ular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, and effective treatment strategies are scarce. This study explored the protective effects of ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenolic compound, against CdSO4 exposure-induced neurotoxicity in HT22 cells. Additionally, the inves-tigation sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Our findings demonstrated that exposure of HT22 cells to CdSO4 resulted in apoptosis, which was effectively reversed by EA supplementation. EA supplementation also decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial ROS productions, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and restored the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Additionally, EA supplementation at 5–20 μM significantly counteracted Cd-induced mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP losses and reduced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved-caspase-3 protein expression. Furthermore, EA supplementation upregulated Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression while downregulating the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 proteins. Pharmacological inhibition of JNK partially inhibited CdSO4-induced Nrf2/HO-1 activation and exacerbated its cytotoxicity. In conclusion, our results indicate that EA supplementation provides protection against CdSO4-induced cell apoptosis in HT22 cells by inhibiting oxidative stress and activating the Nrf2 pathway. Activation of the JNK pathway plays a protective role in CdSO4-induced cell apoptosis in HT22 cells.

The use of alcohol and tobacco is related to several variables which act as risk or protective factors, depending on the circumstances. The objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence, resilience and family functioning in adolescent use of alcohol and tobacco and to find emotional profiles for their use considering self-concept. The sample was made up of 317 high school students aged 13 to 18 who filled out the Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory, the Resilience Scale for Adolescents, the APGAR Scale, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire - Adolescents and the Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire. The results revealed that emotional intelligence and resilience, specifically, stress management and family cohesion were significant in the group of nonusers. Family functioning acts as a predictor factor for onset of use of tobacco and alcohol. Positive expectancies about drinking alcohol were found to be a risk factor and the intrapersonal factor to be protective. Both stress management and family cohesion were protective factors against smoking. Furthermore, cluster analysis revealed emotional profiles for users of both substances based on self-concept. Finally, the importance of the direction of the relationship between the variables studied for intervention in this problem should be mentioned. Responsible use by improving adolescent decision-making is one of the results expected from this type of intervention.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is widely used in public healthcare facilities; this exposure can result in the development of bacterial tolerance to disinfectant, which has known links to antibiotic cross-resistance. However, the mechanism through which cross-resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants develops remains ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the phenotypic, and transcriptomic changes caused by disinfectant exposure in gram-negative bacteria and determine the cause of cross-resistance to antibiotics. The results demonstrated that the misuse of disinfectants plays an important role in the emergence of disinfectant resistance and in the increase in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance may occur from exposure of gram-negative bacteria to subminimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of NaOCl. Ten passages of gram-negative bacteria in increasingly higher subMICs of NaOCl disinfectant was sufficient to increase the MIC to &gt;2,500 µg/ml NaOCl, particularly in K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. To determine the development of cross-resistance to antibiotics due to NaOCl exposure, the MICs for each antibiotic before and after exposure of each strain to sublethal concentrations of NaOCl were compared. After overnight incubation with a sublethal concentration of NaOCl, a statistically significant increase in MIC was only observed for imipenem (P&lt;0.01). Investigation of the mechanism of cross-resistance by means of transcriptome analysis revealed that 1,250 µg/ml NaOCl-adapted K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa strains increased resistance to imipenem due to increased expression of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) efflux pumps, such as AcrAB-TolC and MexAB/XY-OprM. Therefore, we suggest that exposure to NaOCl can influence the expression of RND efflux pump genes, contributing to imipenem cross-resistance.

Health communication has been highlighted as a cost-effective preventive intervention in Africa where prevalence of tobacco use is still relatively low compared to other World Health Organization (WHO) regions. This scoping review aims to examine tobacco control health communication interventions in Africa. The review was guided by the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Data was extracted from twenty peer-reviewed papers, WHO Global Health Observatory on Anti-tobacco mass media campaigns for 54 African countries, and six WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control reports on Article 12. Data extraction informed by JBI data extraction questions was used for peer review studies while a pre-determined template was used for the other sources. Narrative data synthesis informed by the JBI manual for evidence synthesis was employed. Lack of research that comprehensively address all areas of health communication and Inconsistent use of health communication campaigns was identified. Only an average of 6 countries had ever implemented effective mass media campaigns in a decade while an average of 33 countries consistently failed to conduct campaigns that lasted more than 3 weeks. Although the involvement of key populations was clearly vital to ensure content relevance and message clarity; a lack of health communication informed by young people was observed as they rarely participated in key decision-making despite reportedly being targets of interventions. Clear health communication for tobacco use prevention informed by young people is lacking in African countries. Active participation of young people in developing targeted campaigns is needed to facilitate content relevance and comprehension to ultimately contribute to tobacco use prevention.

Soluble chaperones residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) play vitally important roles in folding and quality control of newly synthesized proteins that transiently pass through the ER en route to their final destinations. These soluble residents of the ER are themselves endowed with an ER retrieval signal that enables the cell to bring the escaped residents back from the Golgi. Here, by using purified proteins, we showed that Nicotiana tabacum phytaspase, a plant aspartate-specific protease, introduces two breaks at the C-terminus of the N. tabacum ER resident calreticulin-3. These cleavages resulted in removal of either a dipeptide or a hexapeptide from the C-terminus of calreticulin-3 encompassing part or all of the ER retrieval signal. Consistently, expression of the calreticulin-3 derivative mimicking the phytaspase cleavage product in Nicotiana benthamiana cells demonstrated loss of the ER accumulation of the protein. Notably, upon its escape from the ER, calreticulin-3 was further processed by an unknown protease(s) to generate the free N-terminal (N) domain of calreticulin-3, which was ultimately secreted into the apoplast. Our study thus identified a specific proteolytic enzyme capable of precise detachment of the ER retrieval signal from a plant ER resident protein, with implications for the further fate of the escaped resident.

The purpose of this article was to check the effects on health of various types of physical activities, diet, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption and their interrelationships with control for age, sex and level of education. The study was based on epidemiological data (9617 participants from 19 to 81 years old for whom we have health indicators over a period of 11 years) together with questionnaires about diet, alcohol, tobacco and the frequency of different types of physical activities. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric correlational analysis of epidemiological data was performed with use of SPSS v.19. Our results indicate the existence of the significant relationship between leading a healthy life style (type of physical activities, limitations of fats consume and weight maintenance). However, the different categories of physical activities were analysed separately and showed slight differences on health indicators impacts. Our findings confirm that leading a healthy life style (all types of physical activities, limitations of fats consume and weight maintenance) is an important issue since it has a significant relationship with physical and mental health indicators, but outdoor physical activities and practicing sport in group have shown slightly higher impact on health.

The increase in tobacco production while ameliorating the condition of the participant households has caused challenges to stakeholders particularly those in the governance of forest resources upon which the sector is hinged. Massive deforestation has proceeded at an alarmingly high level, in a way that threatens the long term viability of the tobacco sector and sustainability of natural forest resources. The entrance of previously disadvantaged majority into the once minority-dominated tobacco sector (and economy) in a quest to improving their livelihoods, is driving forest landscape changes that pose inherent environmental challenges including climate change. This article adopts institutional and landscape approaches to explore and explain the drivers, nexus and implications of smallholder tobacco as a livelihood strategy to the forest landscape changes and the subsequent imperative for governance of the sustainable utilization of forest resources in Zimbabwe. Drawing on documentary evidence the paper concludes that this situation poses a dilemma to forest and livelihood policies, hence the need to examine new institutional and livelihood initiatives.

The primary sources of particulate matter are linked to human activity. Certain particulate emissions, particularly those of a finer nature, can significantly impact human health, making them one of the most concerning pollutants. Ultrafine particles (UFP), which have a diameter of less than 100 nm, are of particular concern due to their impact on human health and the difficulty in controlling them. The concentration of ultrafine particles (UFP) in the workplace is a growing concern and is classified as an emerging risk. Workers may be exposed to UFP through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, or a combination of these routes. This study aims to determine the levels of UFP exposure among workers in environments with varying direct particle emission patterns. Measurements were conducted to compare the results with the levels recommended by the WHO. The study monitored industrial workplaces with direct particulate matter emissions, such as a carpentry and a bakery, as well as social sector sites without or almost without direct particle emissions, such as a school and a health clinic. One conclusion drawn from this study is that all tasks and occupations are susceptible to high levels of UFP, exceeding WHO recommended values in virtually all monitored environments. Therefore, monitoring and controlling UFP is crucial. Further in-depth studies on this subject are also necessary..

Cadmium (Cd) is a pervasive toxic metal, present in most food types, cigarette smoke, and contaminated air. It has no nutritional or physiological value, but most cells in the body will assimilate Cd, as its charge and ionic radius are similar to the essential metals, iron, zinc, and calcium (Fe, Zn, Ca), which are required for cellular metabolism and functional integrity. The kidney is regarded as the principal site of Cd toxicity as it preferentially accumulates in the proximal tubular epithelium here. As these cells die due to toxic accumulation, Cd complexed with metallothionein are released into tubular lumen and excreted. Excretion of Cd, signifying current renal cell toxicity, is used as a measure of long-term Cd exposure. Approximately 10% of the global population are now living with diabetes and over 80% of these are overweight or obese. This association has fueled an intense search for any exogenous chemicals and life-style factors that could induce excessive weight gain. Whilst epidemiological studies have clearly linked diabetes to Cd exposure, this appears to be independent of obesity. Indeed, obesity may enhance diabetogenic effects of Cd. This review highlights Cd exposure sources and levels associated with diabetes type 2 along with the pathophysiologic mechanisms by which Cd disrupt glucose metabolism. Special emphasis is on roles of the liver and kidney in glucose homeostasis, heme-glucose cross-talk, and the involvement of heme oxygenase-1 and -2 (HO-1 and HO-2). From heme degradation, both HO-1 and HO-2 release Fe, carbon monoxide and a precursor substrate for producing a cytoprotective biochemical, bilirubin, whilst HO-2 appears to have also anti-diabetic and anti-obese actions.

This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American youth immigrants and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This population is hard to reach, vulnerable, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. They face numerous challenges to mental health, and increased psychopathological risk, exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in sending countries, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. Using survey data and the validated PHQ-9 questionnaire and Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS), we find that Central American youth have seen improvements in their self-reported mental health after migrating to the U.S. but remain at risk of further trauma exposure, depression, and PTSD. They exhibit a disproportionate likelihood of having lived through traumatizing experiences that put Central American immigrants at higher risk for psychological distress and disorders and may also create obstacles to integration that in turn create new stressors that compound with PTSD and depression. PTSD, depression, or anxiety can be minimized through programs that aid their integration and mental health.

The popularity of electronic cigarettes in the United States and around the world has led to a startling rise in youth nicotine use. The Juul e-cigarette was introduced in the U.S. market in 2015 and had captured approximately 13% of the U.S. market by 2017. Unlike many other contemporary electronic cigarette companies, the founders behind the Juul® e-cigarette approached their product launch like a traditional high-tech start-up company, not like a tobacco company. This article presents a case study of Juul’s corporate and product development history in the context of US regulatory actions. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the value of government-curated archives as leading indicators which can (a) provide insight into emergent technologies and (b) inform emergent regulatory science research questions. A variety of sources were used to gather data about the Juul e-cigarette and the corporations that surround it. Sources included government agencies, published academic literature, non-profit organizations, corporate and retail websites, and the popular press. Data was disambiguated, authenticated, and categorized prior to being placed on a timeline of events. A timeline of four significant milestones, nineteen corporate filings and events, twelve US regulatory actions, sixty four patent applications, eighty seven trademark applications, twenty three design patents and thirty two utility patents related to Juul Labs and its associates is presented spanning the years 2004 thought 2020. This work demonstrates the probative value of findings from patent, trademark, and SEC filing literature in establishing a premise for emergent regulatory science research questions which may not yet be supported by traditional archival research literature. The methods presented here can be used to identify key aspects of emerging technologies before products actually enter the market, this shifting policy formulation and problem identification from a paradigm of being reactive in favor of becoming proactive. Such a proactive approach may permit anticipatory regulatory science research and ultimately shorten the elapsed time between market technology innovation and regulatory response.

Background: Health expenditure in Japan is rising due to an ageing society while simultaneously pressure is mounting to increase spending in other areas such as defense, all in the context of a stagnating economy. Easing pressures on the health care sector through smoking-related cost reductions could thus be a cornerstone to mitigate the looming fiscal threat. Public health policy has encouraged cessation, but this approach has seen limited success. Focusing on cessation alone therefore may not be a sustainable policy strategy and other, new solutions need to be found to reduce smoking-related costs. Methods: Using a status-quo simulation based on hospital resources data derived from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, we examine the impact of heated tobacco products (HTPs) on the prevalence of four smoking attributable diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke and lung cancer) and related direct health care costs. Base case scenario assumes a switching rate from combustible smokers to HTPs of 50%. A risk reduction rate of 70% was applied. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the impact of parameter changes on output. Results: Our results indicate that 50% of smokers switching to use HTPs instead of combustible tobacco products could reduce the number of patients of the four smoking attributable diseases considered by 12 million cases equivalent to 454 billion JPY in savings. Prefectures located in the north and south of Japan would benefit most. Conclusion: Considering the heterogeneous prevalence rates across population groups and prefectures, a one-size-fits-all, centralized approach to tobacco control is not effective. Health authorities should strategically use multiple interventions to address smoking related health risks and costs. Switching to HTPs should be encouraged in parallel to smoking cessation, and educational efforts should aim to increase the awareness on health risks, especially among younger people.

Type II diabetes (T2D) is a multifaceted metabolic disease influenced by various factors (genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and other). An alarming surge in T2D prevalence is estimated, reaching 700 million cases by 2045 worldwide. This review explores the complex interactions of multiple risk factors throughout life and offers a new perspective on T2D. Genetic and epigenetic influences are described in detail. Prenatal factors, such as exposure to undernutrition and maternal overfeeding, induce lasting epigenetic changes, affecting T2D susceptibility. Furthermore, birthweight is a crude proxy for perinatal programming, with low and high birthweights associated with increased T2D risk. Often overlooked, the early postnatal period also significantly contributes to perinatal programming. Neonatal over-nutrition and feeding choices exert lasting effects on DNA methylation and metabolic outcomes later in life. Stress during this period further exacerbates T2D susceptibility. In continuation, childhood behaviors which are influenced by prior periods contribute substantially to T2D risk. Adverse childhood experiences amplify the risk of many diseases, including T2D. Sleep hygiene throughout life plays a role in metabolic health, influencing insulin resistance and appetite regulation. In adulthood, obesity remains a prominent predictor of T2D, with chronic stress contributing to weight gain and unhealthy lifestyle. This review proposes a novel perspective, considering T2D pathophysiology as a nonlinear process governed by numerous factors and their interactions throughout life. The inherent unpredictability suggests a need for personalized interventions tailored to specific risk profiles, emphasizing the importance of understanding gene-environment interactions and embracing a holistic view of T2D pathogenesis.

Zinc (Zn) is the second most abundant metal in the human body, and is essential for the function of 10% of all proteins. As metals cannot be synthesized or degraded, they must be assimilated from diet by specialized transport proteins, which unfortunately also provide an entry route for the toxic metal pollutant cadmium (Cd). The intestinal absorption of Zn depends on the composition of food that is consumed, firstly the amount of Zn itself, and then the quantity of other food constituents such as phytate, protein and calcium (Ca). In cells, Zn is involved in regulation of intermediary metabolism, gene expression, cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Cellular influx, efflux, subcellular compartmentalization, and trafficking of Zn are coordinated by transporter proteins, the Solute-Linked Carrier 30A and 39A (SLC30A and SLC39A), known as the ZnT and the Zrt-/Irt-like protein (ZIP). Because of its chemical similarity with Zn and Ca, Cd disrupts the physiological functions of both. The concurrent induction of a Zn efflux transporter ZnT1 (SLC30A1) and metallothionein by Cd disrupts the homeostasis and reduces the bioavailability of Zn. The present review highlights the increased mortality and the severity of various diseases, including those induced by COVID-19 infections, among Cd-exposed persons and the roles of Zn and other transport proteins in the manifestation of Cd cytotoxicity. Special emphasis is given to the potential protective effects of Zn against bone, lung and heart diseases associated with Cd exposure. The difficult challenge of determining a permissible intake level of Cd is discussed in relation to the recommended dietary Zn intake levels.